Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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

When fans asked her to tell them that she loved them she said in response, "I don't though cuz i don't even know y'all."

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2023

“They didn’t have sponsors, so we basically said, ‘I guess it’s on us,’” said Seitz, who wears a pin portraying Pope Francis that reads “Defending migrants cuz the Pope said so.”

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2023

Manchee barks a bit louder down by my leg cuz that’s how you gotta talk in the Noise.

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.