because

American  

[bih-kawz, -koz, -kuhz] / bɪˈkɔz, -ˈkɒz, -ˈkʌz /

conjunction

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

   The boy was absent because he was ill.

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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!

idioms

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

   Schools were closed because of heavy snowfall.

because British  

/ -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

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Usage

See reason.

Etymology

Origin of because

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

Example Sentences

They were due to depart on an Easyjet flight on Sunday but faced queues of up to three hours at Milan's Linate airport because of border control checks.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Shortly after Musk acquired Twitter in late 2022, many major advertisers paused their ads on the site, partly because of content-moderation concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

"I am worried about the continuation of the situation and the return of attacks again, because they were causing me tension," said Imam, an Egyptian housewife living in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

“There’s already been a lot of optimism built in” to the market because of investors’ expectations on such guidance, he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

Everyone in the house was Métis, but Berlin’s roommates insisted on saying Navajo tacos because their stepdad was Diné, while Simon, the undisputed star of language camp, argued NDN was fairest.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith