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Synonyms

cuz

1 American  
[kuhz] / kʌz /

noun

Informal.

  1. cousin.

cuz 2 American  
[kuhz] / kʌz /
Or 'cuz

conjunction

Informal.

  1. because.

cuz British  
/ kʌz /

noun

  1. a term used by a Māori to refer to or address a family member

  2. a term used by an Aboriginal person to refer to or address a family member

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cuz1

By shortening and alteration

Origin of cuz2

By shortening and alteration

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I'm disappointed cuz a couple of her songs came on and the music isn't BAD," agreed another on Bluesky.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

“She did not want to have a drink cuz she was ‘tired.’

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

“Just cuz you saw it on TikTok doesn’t mean it’s right for your face!” reads the caption in a Bubble Instagram post this year that featured a three-step skin-care routine for customers under 13.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2024

Of course, that’s easier said than done because Santos knows that a controversial figure like him is guaranteed to make headlines: “But you can’t, cuz people want the content.”

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2023

Manchee and me carry on walking pretty fast cuz next is the gas stayshun and Mr. Hammar.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.