due

1 of 3

adjective

ˈdü How to pronounce due (audio)
ˈdyü
1
: owed or owing as a debt
is due a full week's pay
2
a
: owed or owing as a natural or moral right
finally got the recognition she was due
give credit where credit is due
everyone's right to dissent … is due the full protection of the ConstitutionNat Hentoff
b
: according to accepted notions or procedures : appropriate
with all due respect
3
a
: satisfying or capable of satisfying a need, obligation, or duty : adequate
giving the matter due attention
b
: regular, lawful
due proof of loss
4
: capable of being attributed : ascribable
used with to
this advance is partly due to a few men of geniusA. N. Whitehead
5
: having reached the date at which payment is required : payable
the rent is due
6
: required or expected in the prescribed, normal, or logical course of events : scheduled
The train is due at noon.
When is the baby due?
also : expected to give birth
has a friend who is due in April
dueness noun

due

2 of 3

noun

: something due (see due entry 1) or owed: such as
a
: something that rightfully belongs to one
give him his due
b
: a payment or obligation required by law or custom : debt
c
dues plural : fees, charges
membership dues

due

3 of 3

adverb

1
: directly, exactly
due north
2
obsolete : duly

Examples of due in a Sentence

Adjective My wife is due in three weeks. The bill is due at the end of the month. The balance is now due. The amount due is 45 dollars. Noun Dues are increasing this year. Workers are required to join the union and pay dues. He deserves to be given his due. Adverb the island lies due south of the headland a plane flying due east
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
He was remanded back into custody and is due in court on Monday. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The second, due in April, centers on protections for doctors to perform emergency abortions. Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 Another set of notes, due in 2025, are going for 76 cents on the dollar. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 That’s due both to elevation—SFO, for instance, is a (necessarily) flat area right on the water—but also to the local geology. Matt Simon, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 While Strasse Haus' license was terminated after the owners failed to pay license fees due in December 2021, the document says, the bar continued to perform musical works by the association's members publicly. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Ford is due back in federal court on April 29, when a jury trial is set to take place. Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 That’s likely due at least in part to advances in camera technology and the rise of digital film, along with the rapidly growing consciousness that environmental concerns are of urgent importance to all of us. Carolina Dalia Gonzalez, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 The mother of a 12-year-old North Carolina girl who has not been seen since November 2022 was due in court on Friday but reportedly refused to appear. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024
Noun
Workers who join the union will pay $20 in monthly membership dues, SEIU spokesperson Isabel Urbano said. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 Workers who join the union will pay $20 in monthly membership dues in exchange for union resources and support. Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 The nonprofit also gets money from dues and from resort-are hotels in Garden Grove. Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 30 Jan. 2024 Membership dues dropped by $14 million from 2021 to 2022, according to an audit filed as part of the lawsuit. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024 Members of the international organization, formed in the wake of World War II, do not pay dues as such. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 Some agencies receive funding from U.N. dues; but the UNRWA, alongside the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, receive the majority of their funding from voluntary contributions from member states. Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 1 Feb. 2024 Fox says that membership, which requires a one-time initiation fee of $90K followed by monthly dues of $1,000, skews young as far as these things go. Katie Kelly Bell, Robb Report, 11 Feb. 2024 Both men started their respective careers around the same time and paid their dues in Seattle together. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'due.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Adverb

Middle English, from Anglo-French deu, past participle of dever to owe, from Latin debēre — more at debt

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of due was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near due

Cite this Entry

“Due.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

due

1 of 3 adjective
1
: owed or owing as a debt or right
respect due to the court
2
: according to accepted beliefs or procedures : appropriate entry 2
treat the judge with due respect
3
a
: sufficient, adequate
arrived in due time
b
: regular entry 1 sense 2a, lawful
due process of law
4
: being a result
used with to
accidents due to carelessness
5
: having reached the date at which payment is required
bills are due
6
: required or expected to happen
due to arrive any minute now

due

2 of 3 noun
1
: something owed : debt
2
plural : a regular or legal charge or fee
membership dues

due

3 of 3 adverb

Medical Definition

due

adjective
: expected to be born in the normal course of events
the baby is due in November
also : expected to give birth
she's due this month

Legal Definition

due

adjective
1
a
: satisfying or capable of satisfying an obligation, duty, or requirement under the law
the buyer's due performance under the contract
due proof of loss
b
: proper under the law
obstructing due administration of justice
2
: capable of being attributed
used with to
any loss due to neglect
3
a
: having reached the date at which payment is required : payable
b
: owed though not yet required to be paid
4
Etymology

Adjective

Old French deu, past participle of devoir to owe, from Latin debere

More from Merriam-Webster on due

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