attributable to; ascribable to: The delay was due to heavy traffic.
because of; owing to: All planes are grounded due to fog.
give someone his/her due,
to give what justice demands; treat fairly: Even though he had once cheated me, I tried to give him his due.
to credit a disliked or dishonorable person for something that is likable, honorable, or the like.
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.
Origin of due
1275–1325;Middle English < Anglo-French;Middle Frenchdeu, past participle of devoir < Latindēbēre to owe; see debt
Related formsdue·ness, nounCan be confuseddewdodue
Usage note
11. 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.
C13: from Old French deu, from devoir to owe, from Latin debēre; see debt, debit
usage
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
early 14c., "customary, regular;" mid-14c., "owing, payable," from Old French deu, past participle of devoir "to owe," from Latin debere "to owe" (see debt).
In reference to points of the compass (e.g. due east) it is attested from c.1600, originally nautical, from notion of "fitting, rightful." As an adverb from 1590s; as a noun from early 15c. Prepositional phrase due to (much maligned by grammarians) is from 1897.
