due to

preposition

Synonyms of due tonext
: as a result of : because of
due to the complaints of uptight parents … he lost his job— Herbert Gold
Using Due to: Usage Guide

The objection to due to as a preposition is only a continuation of disagreements that began in the 18th century over the proper uses of owing and due. Due to is as grammatically sound as owing to, which is frequently recommended in its place. It has been and is used by reputable writers and has been recognized as standard for decades. There is no solid reason to avoid due to.

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of due to in a Sentence

evening classes were cancelled due to heavy snow
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.
Around the same time, wildfires were burning in Los Angeles, leading Northwestern women’s basketball to forfeit games to USC and UCLA, due to their decision not to travel. — Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 One thing to note, though, is that there are some within the garage who still prefer the human element to calling a race due to factors that AI can’t always take into account. — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025 Indians generally revere elephants and tolerate a great deal of hardship to enable coexistence—about 500 humans are killed due to human-elephant conflict annually there. — Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025 Boston Public Schools have already had to fire several full-time employees due to the loss of grant funding, and the College of New Jersey has also canceled the rest of its teacher-residency program. — Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for due to

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of due to was in 1897

Rhymes for due to

See All Rhymes for due to

Browse Nearby Words

duet
due to
duettist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Due to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due%20to. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

due to

preposition
: because of

More from Merriam-Webster on due to

Nglish: Translation of due to for Spanish Speakers

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