owing

[oh-ing]

adjective

1. owed, unpaid, or due for payment.

   to pay what is owing.

owing

/ ˈəʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. (postpositive) owed; due

2. (preposition) because of or on account of

Other Word Forms

• unowing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of owing¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

Companies have begun to focus on overseas markets and cut capacity at home owing to aging consumers, aging workers, and lagging incomes.

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Both metals have rallied in recent days, partly owing to increased investor demand for safe-haven assets amid the U.S. government shutdown.

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China has become the de facto manufacturer of the world’s goods, owing not only to its enormous population of engineers, technicians and machinists but also its 2-million-plus army of industrial robots.

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The twin disclosures from the banks illustrate the tangle of financing that flowed through First Brands, which collapsed in late September, owing more than $10 billion in a messy and sudden unraveling.

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Sheep are simultaneously fluffy and unsettling owing to their perpetual smirk.

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