Showing Results for "owing"

See Also:

• present participle of owe.

owing

American  

[oh-ing] / ˈoʊ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. owed, unpaid, or due for payment.

   to pay what is owing.

---

idioms

1. owing to, because of; as a result of.

   Owing to a mistake in the payroll department, some of us were issued incorrect checks.

owing British  

/ ˈəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. (postpositive) owed; due

2. (preposition) because of or on account of

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unowing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of owing

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at owe, -ing ²

Example Sentences

The moderation in growth from this year’s projected 2% is owing to a slowdown in real income growth and consumer spending.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

The Ligue 1 campaign is also four games shorter than the Premier League's, owing to its 18-team format.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

By contrast, billionaire financier Ken Griffin, who purchased a Manhattan penthouse in 2019 for roughly $238 million, could potentially end up owing $1 million or more in new taxes on that property.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Smith said he packed, so it wasn’t “too dreadful,” but the Air Force veteran did liken the evacuation to a deployment, owing primarily to the uncertainty of how long the evacuation might last.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

Royal was the man who’d spied her in town; his partner was Red, owing to the rusty color of his curly hair.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead