because

[bih-kawz, -koz, -kuhz]

conjunction

1. for the reason that; due to the fact that.

   The boy was absent because he was ill.

preposition

1. Informal.,  (used directly before a noun, adjective, verb, interjection, etc., to convey a very concise rationale, excuse, or explanation).

   We’re a little like monkeys because evolution.

   He doesn’t practice enough: because lazy.

   I love doughnuts because yum!

because

/ -ˈkəz, bɪˈkɒz /

conjunction

1. (subordinating) on account of the fact that; on account of being; since

   because it's so cold we'll go home

2. (preposition) on account of

   I lost my job because of her

Usage

See reason.

Word History and Origins

Origin of because¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English bi cause; by ( def. ), cause ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of because¹

C14 bi cause , from bi _by + _cause

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. because of, by reason of; due to.

   Schools were closed because of heavy snowfall.

Example Sentences

“They’re in a weird situation because the spending data doesn’t seem to align very well with the labor market data,” said William English, a former senior Fed adviser.

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On the other side are officials such as Schmid, who said in a speech this summer that tariff-related effects on prices had been limited in part because the Fed didn’t try to offset the cost shock with more accommodative interest rates.

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“But here because of the immigration policy, you’re not quite sure how to interpret everything.”

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Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase, expects the Fed to cut again in December, notwithstanding obvious efforts by Powell to clarify that such a cut remains highly conditional, because he expects incoming data to show job-market conditions on still-shaky ground.

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“It was kind of like a courtesy, because I’m largely responsible that we have that independent commission,” Schwarzenegger recalled.

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When To Use

Spelling tips for because

The word because is hard to spell since the -cause part of the word is pronounced [ koz ] or [ kuhz ]. How to spell because: The word cause means "reason or motive". To remember how to spell because, ask yourself, "What could be the cause of that?" Add be to the beginning of cause and you have because.