What does "due" mean?
Deserved acknowledgment.
Due
/djuː/ adj, adv, name, noun
adj, adv, name, noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Deserved acknowledgment.
- Grammar: due is listed as adj, adv, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: according to hoyle, accountable, accounts payable, accounts receivable.
- Useful contrasts: credit, despite, exemption.
- Usage evidence: Your poor memory is due to poor listening habits.
How to use "due"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "due" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "due" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "due" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "due" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "due" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "according to hoyle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "due", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Deserved acknowledgment.
"Give him his due – he is a good actor."
- 2 that which is deserved or owed wordnet
- 3 A membership fee. in-plural
- 4 a payment that is due (e.g., as the price of membership) wordnet
- 5 That which is owed; debt; that which belongs or may be claimed as a right; whatever custom, law, or morality requires to be done, duty.
"He will give the devil his due."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Right; just title or claim.
"The key of this infernal pit by due […] I keep."
Adjective
- 1 Owed or owing.
"He is due four weeks of back pay."
- 2 Appropriate.
"With all due respect, you're wrong about that."
- 3 Scheduled; expected.
"Rain is due this afternoon."
- 4 Having reached the expected, scheduled, or natural time.
"The baby is just about due."
- 5 Owing; ascribable, as to a cause.
"The dangerously low water table is due to rapidly growing pumping."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 On a direct bearing, especially for the four points of the compass.
"The town is 5 miles due North of the bridge."
Adjective
- 1 owed and payable immediately or on demand wordnet
- 2 suitable to or expected in the circumstances wordnet
- 3 capable of being assigned or credited to wordnet
- 4 scheduled to arrive wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Directly; exactly.
"The river runs due north for about a mile."
Adverb
- 1 directly or exactly; straight wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Your poor memory is due to poor listening habits."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "due"?
Common synonyms include: according to hoyle, accountable, accounts payable, accounts receivable, accrued, acknowledgment.
How do you use "due" in a sentence?
Your poor memory is due to poor listening habits.
How do you pronounce "due"?
Pronounced /djuː/.
Etymology
From Middle English dewe, dew, due, from Old French deü (“due”), past participle of devoir (“to owe”), from Latin dēbēre (“to owe”), from dē- (“from”) + habeō (“to have”).