due
due — adjective
1. planned or scheduled by a set timetable to happen or be ready.
planned or scheduled by a set timetable to happen or be ready.
The 9:15 train from Taipei is due to arrive at 10:45.
be + due + to-infinitive for schedules
Haruto's final project is due on Friday, so he is working late this week.
be + due + on + date for deadlines
The new baby is due at the end of March.
Rent is due on the first day of every month.
Could you tell me when the next payment on this account is due?
- due to arrive
- due to start
- due on
- due at
- due by
- due date
- expected
more general; 'due' adds the idea of a set schedule
- scheduled
stronger on planning; 'due' often implies a deadline
- anticipated
more formal, focuses on expectation rather than obligation
- overdue
past the scheduled time
Grammar Patterns
be + due + to-infinitive
be + due + on/at/in + time
Usage Note
Predicative only — do not use before a noun. You can say 'the report is due next week' but NOT 'the due report'.
Common Mistakes
2. happening at the correct time after a natural period has passed, and not before.
happening at the correct time after a natural period has passed, and not before.
Your visa application will be processed in due course once the documents are verified.
fixed phrase: in due course (at the proper time)
The committee will announce the scholarship winners in due time after comparing all entries.
Dr. Mensah assured the lab team that the test results would arrive in due course and not to worry.
Please be patient while the immigration office reviews your file — the decision will arrive in due course.
- in due course
- in due time
- eventually
less formal; 'in due course' implies the timing is appropriate, not just eventual
- in time
shorter and more casual; 'in due course' adds formality
Grammar Patterns
in + due + course
in + due + time
Usage Note
Only appears in the fixed phrases 'in due course' and 'in due time'. Never use 'due' alone in this sense. The phrase carries a formal, patient tone and is common in official correspondence.
Common Mistakes
3. resulting from a particular cause, reason, or circumstance.
resulting from a particular cause, reason, or circumstance.
The flight was cancelled due to heavy fog at the airport.
due to + noun phrase expressing cause
Marta missed the meeting due to a family emergency.
The outdoor concert was moved to a gymnasium due to a sudden thunderstorm.
The shop closed early due to a lack of staff.
Traffic delays were due to an accident on the highway.
- due to weather
- due to illness
- due to lack of
- due to the fact
- due to circumstances
- due to an error
- because of
more common in everyday speech; 'due to' is slightly more formal but often interchangeable
- owing to
more formal; often used in written English
- attributable to
more technical; used in formal or academic writing
- despite
marks contrast rather than cause
Grammar Patterns
due + to + noun phrase
Common Mistakes
4. money that must be handed over as an obligation, or something someone deserves t
money that must be handed over as an obligation, or something someone deserves to receive as their right.
There is still five hundred dollars due on the car loan.
amount + due + on + debt
The workers were told their wages were due at the end of the week.
A full refund is due to any customer whose order arrives damaged.
The landlord sent Tuan a notice saying that seven hundred dollars in rent was due.
The mortgage payment of eighteen hundred dollars is due on the first of next month.
- amount due
- payment due
- balance due
- due on
- due to
- fall due
- become due
- payable
more technical, used for formal financial contexts
- outstanding
emphasises that payment is still waiting to be made
- owing
stresses the debt aspect; slightly less common in everyday use
Grammar Patterns
be + due + to + person
payment/amount + be + due
Usage Note
Predicative only — 'due' follows the subject. When specifying a person, use 'due to [someone]'.
5. deserving or ready to receive something because of the time that has passed or o
deserving or ready to receive something because of the time that has passed or one's achievements.
After five years in the same role, Rachid is due for a promotion.
be + due + for + promotion/reward
The car is due for an oil change every six months.
Talia felt she was due for a holiday after finishing the big project.
You are due for a dental check-up — it has been almost a year.
- due for a promotion
- due for a check-up
- due for a raise
- due for a change
- due for an upgrade
- due for a review
- ready for
more general; lacks the sense of deserving, just timing
- deserving of
focuses on merit; 'due for' adds the element of expected timing
Grammar Patterns
be + due + for + noun phrase
Usage Note
Only used predicatively with 'be due for'. The subject is a person or thing that is ready or deserving, and the object is the thing deserved or needed. Common with scheduled services (check-ups, inspections, maintenance).
Common Mistakes
6. proper and correct for a particular situation, often in formal contexts involvin
proper and correct for a particular situation, often in formal contexts involving procedure or respect.
The manager handled the complaint with due care and attention.
due + care / attention / consideration
With all due respect, I think the proposed budget needs more thought.
fixed phrase: with all due respect
The court must follow due process to ensure a fair trial.
After due consideration, the board decided to accept the offer.
Parents should show due concern for their children's online activities.
- due care
- due consideration
- due process
- due respect
- with all due respect
- due diligence
- due attention
- proper
overlapping meaning, but 'proper' is broader and less formal
- appropriate
more widely used across registers; 'due' adds a sense of moral or procedural correctness
- fitting
emphasises suitability to circumstances
- inappropriate
not suitable or correct for the situation
Grammar Patterns
due + noun
with all + due + respect
Usage Note
Unlike other adjective senses, this one goes BEFORE the noun (attributive position). Common in formal, legal, and academic English. The phrase 'with all due respect' is used to politely introduce a disagreement.
Common Mistakes
To acknowledge someone's good work or achievement, even if you are not happy about it.
Maya gave credit where credit was due, praising Diego's hard work.
Even though they lost, the coach gave credit where credit was due to the opposing team.
in due course
idiomAt the appropriate time in the future, without delay.
Your application will be processed in due course.
The committee will announce its decision in due course.
Used to politely introduce a disagreement or criticism.
With all due respect, I think your plan has some flaws.
With respect, I disagree with your conclusion.
due — adverb
1. straight and exactly in a particular compass direction, without any deviation.
straight and exactly in a particular compass direction, without any deviation.
The hikers headed due north along the mountain trail.
due + compass direction for exact heading
To reach the village, drive due east from the main square for about three kilometres.
The satellite image showed the storm moving due west at twenty kilometres per hour.
Constanza pointed due south and said the harbour was just beyond the hill.
- due north
- due south
- due east
- due west
Grammar Patterns
due + north/south/east/west
Usage Note
Always followed by a compass direction — north, south, east, west. Never used alone or with other nouns. Do NOT say 'due left' or 'due forward'.
Common Mistakes
due — noun
1. used to recognise someone's good points or achievements even while holding a neg
used to recognise someone's good points or achievements even while holding a negative overall opinion of them.
I rarely agree with the boss, but to give her due, she is fair with the staff.
fixed phrase: to give + person + their due
Tomás is hard to work with, but to give him his due, his ideas are creative.
The film was too long, but to give it its due, the acting was excellent.
Amihan can be quite stubborn, but to give her due, she always finishes what she starts.
- give someone their due
- to give credit where it's due
- credit
similar meaning in 'give credit where credit is due'; 'give someone their due' is more concessive
Grammar Patterns
give + someone + their + due
Usage Note
Only used in the fixed expression 'to give someone their due', which introduces a concession before or after a criticism. The 'due' is always singular and possessive. The phrase can also be used with things (films, books, etc.).
Common Mistakes
2. regular payments that members make to an organisation such as a club, union, or
regular payments that members make to an organisation such as a club, union, or professional body.
All members must pay their annual dues by the end of January.
pay + annual/monthly + dues
Rachid forgot to renew his union dues and lost access to the legal advice service.
The club used membership dues to pay for maintenance of the tennis courts.
If you do not pay your dues on time, your membership will be cancelled.
- pay dues
- annual dues
- membership dues
- union dues
- club dues
- dues deadline
- fees
broader; can be one-time; 'dues' are recurring membership payments specifically
- subscription
often used for magazines or services; 'dues' is more common for organisations
Grammar Patterns
pay + dues
membership + dues
union + dues
Usage Note
Always plural in form — 'dues' takes a plural verb. Used for subscriptions to unions, professional associations, social clubs, and student organisations. Not used for one-time payments.
Common Mistakes
3. something that a person deserves or is entitled to receive, which may be a rewar
something that a person deserves or is entitled to receive, which may be a reward, recognition, or punishment.
The cheat finally got his due when the school board expelled him.
get + possessive + due (usually negative outcome)
After years of hard work, the scientist received her due with a major award.
The dishonest accountant never got caught at first, but he received his due when the auditors found the missing money.
The community volunteers never received their due in terms of recognition.
- get one's due
- receive one's due
- give someone their due (see sense 1)
- comeuppance
informal; only refers to deserved punishment, not reward
- just deserts
also idiomatic, similar meaning but slightly more formal; note the spelling 'deserts', not 'desserts'
Grammar Patterns
get/receive/have + possessive + due
Usage Note
Almost always used with a possessive determiner (my, his, her, its, their, one's). Can refer to either a positive outcome (reward, recognition) or a negative one (punishment, consequences), depending on context.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/3
All four phrases express cause, but they differ in formality and grammatical flexibility. 'Because of' is the most neutral and common in everyday speech and writing — you can use it in almost any context. 'Due to' is slightly more formal and traditionally preferred in written English, though it is now widely accepted in speech as well. 'Owing to' is the most formal of the group and appears mainly in official or academic writing. 'On account of' is slightly old-fashioned and often used in storytelling or informal spoken contexts. For example: 'The match was cancelled because of rain' (neutral), 'The match was cancelled due to rain' (slightly formal), 'The match was cancelled owing to heavy rainfall' (formal bulletin), 'We stayed indoors on account of the weather' (narrative tone). Learners at B1 level should master 'because of' and 'due to'; C1 learners can add 'owing to' and 'on account of' for stylistic range.
Common collocations
Nouns
- due date
- due payment
- due process
- due diligence
Adverbs
- already due
- still due
- legally due
- overdue
Phrases
- in due course
- in due time
- with all due respect
- give someone their due
Prepositions
- due for
- due on
- due at
- due by
- due to
Etymology
The word 'due' entered English from Old French 'deu', meaning 'owed' or 'proper', which came from the Latin 'debēre' (to owe). The Latin root 'dēbēre' combines 'dē' (away) and 'habēre' (to have), literally meaning 'to have away from someone' — in other words, to hold something that belongs to another. The sense of 'expected or scheduled' developed naturally from the idea of something being owed at a particular time. The adverbial use for compass directions ('due north') arose in the 16th century from the notion of 'exactly' or 'directly' — what is 'owing' in terms of precision.