due

[ doo, dyoo ]
/ du, dyu /

adjective

noun

something that is due, owed, or naturally belongs to someone.
Usually dues. a regular fee or charge payable at specific intervals, especially to a group or organization: membership dues.

adverb

directly or exactly: a due east course.
Obsolete. duly.

Idioms for due

Origin of due

1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Middle French deu, past participle of devoir < Latin dēbēre to owe; see debt

usage note for due

11. Due to as a prepositional phrase meaning “because of, owing to” has been in use since the 14th century: Due to the sudden rainstorm, the picnic was moved indoors. Some object to this use on the grounds that due is historically an adjective and thus should be used only predicatively in constructions like The delay was due to electrical failure. Despite such objections, due to occurs commonly as a compound preposition and is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

pronunciation note for due

See new.

OTHER WORDS FROM due

due·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH due

dew do due

British Dictionary definitions for due to

due
/ (djuː) /

adjective

noun

something that is owed, required, or due
give a person his due to give or allow a person what is deserved or right

adverb

directly or exactly; straight a course due west
See also dues

Word Origin for due

C13: from Old French deu, from devoir to owe, from Latin debēre; see debt, debit

usage for due

The use of due to as a compound preposition (the performance has been cancelled due to bad weather) was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable

Idioms and Phrases with due to (1 of 2)

due to

1

Likely to, announced as, as in Betty bought more of the stock, believing it was due to rise, or The play is due to open next week. [Early 1900s]

2

Attributable to, because of, as in Due to scanty rainfall, we may face a crop failure. This usage has been criticized by some authorities, but today it is widely considered standard. [Early 1900s] Also see on account of.

3

Owing or payable to, as in We must give our staff whatever vacation is due to them.

Idioms and Phrases with due to (2 of 2)

due