due

American  

[doo, dyoo] / du, dyu /

adjective

1. owed at present; having reached the date for payment.

   This bill is due.

2. owing or owed, irrespective of whether the time of payment has arrived.

   This bill is due next month.

3. owing or observed as a moral or natural right.

4. rightful; proper; fitting.

   due care; in due time.

5. adequate; sufficient.

   a due margin for delay.

6. under engagement as to time; expected to be ready, be present, or arrive; scheduled.

   The plane is due at noon.

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noun

1. something that is due, owed, or naturally belongs to someone.

2. Usually dues a regular fee or charge payable at specific intervals, especially to a group or organization.

   membership dues.

adverb

1. directly or exactly.

   a due east course.

2. Obsolete. duly.

idioms

1. give someone his / her due,

   1. to give what justice demands; treat fairly.

      Even though he had once cheated me, I tried to give him his due.

   2. to credit a disliked or dishonorable person for something that is likable, honorable, or the like.

2. due to,

   1. attributable to; ascribable to.

      The delay was due to heavy traffic.

   2. because of; owing to.

      All planes are grounded due to fog.

3. pay one's dues, to earn respect, a position, or a right by hard work, sacrifice, or experience.

   She's a famous musician now, but she paid her dues with years of practice and performing in small towns.

due British  

/ djuː /

adjective

1. (postpositive) immediately payable

2. (postpositive) owed as a debt, irrespective of any date for payment

3. requisite; fitting; proper

4. (prenominal) adequate or sufficient; enough

5. (postpositive) expected or appointed to be present or arrive

   the train is now due

6. attributable to or caused by

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noun

1. something that is owed, required, or due

2. to give or allow a person what is deserved or right

adverb

1. directly or exactly; straight

   a course due west

due More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing due

• give credit (where it's due)
• give someone his or her due
• give the devil his due
• in due course
• pay one's dues
• with all due respect

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Pronunciation

See new.

Usage

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.

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

Other Word Forms

• dueness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of due

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Anglo-French; Middle French deu, past participle of devoir, from Latin dēbēre “to owe”; cf. debt

Explanation

Things that are due are owed — it's time to come up with them. Loans, library books, and school assignments usually have a due date. The first question students usually ask when given an assignment is "When is it due?" The word due has to do with deadlines and things that are owed. When you're time is up on a library book, it's due. Many bills — such as cable and phone bills — are due once a month. If you miss a due date, you could be in trouble: you might get a bad grade on your paper or the cable guy might take away your favorite stations.

Example Sentences

Due to health complications, Williams has made few public appearances in the last two years.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

"Due to Mr Al Hassan's financial situation, the reparations will be implemented through the Trust Fund for Victims," the court said, urging countries, organisations, businesses and individuals to contribute.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Due to the intrinsic microvariations in motor speeds, one machine ran slightly faster and the loops moved in and out of phase, leading to a hypnotic, static quality that would become Mr. Reich’s trademark.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Due to the conservation effort an adult fly seen in 2022 was the first to be spotted in the wild for a decade.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Due to his upbringing, Hugh sits through inane movies never realizing that they're often based on inane television shows.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• expected
• outstanding
• overdue
• owed
• payable
• scheduled