because of

preposition

: by reason of : on account of

Examples of because of in a Sentence

I was late for work because of the snowstorm, which made driving a nightmare.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Peng said Chinese companies have the edge in developing autonomous vehicles and robotaxi services because of their access to a large network of component suppliers in China. Kevin Lim, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025 Not because of the historical relationship between Denmark and Greenland. Pia Lauritzen, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 His Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, stopped playing him in the outfield because of recurring injuries. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2025 A lot of people are excited about X because of a lot of things around it. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for because of

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Because of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/because%20of. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

because of

preposition
: by reason of

More from Merriam-Webster on because of

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!