# due

/ˈdju/ (US) · /djˈuː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/due
Updated: 2026-06-15

## Senses

### 1. expected or scheduled

adjective · CEFR A2

expected to happen or arrive at a particular time.

For teachers: expected or scheduled to occur or arrive at a specific time.

- The baby is due in early October, so they are preparing the nursery now.
- The final report is due on the director's desk by Friday afternoon, leaving the team very little time for final revisions.

Usage: Often followed by 'to' + infinitive or 'on/in' + time phrase.

### 2. caused by

adjective · CEFR B1

caused by something or because of something.

For teachers: ascribable to a specific cause or origin; used in the phrase 'due to'.

- The flight delay was due to bad weather at the airport.
- The sudden increase in share prices was largely due to speculation regarding a potential merger between the two tech giants.

Usage: Always followed by the preposition 'to'.

Teaching tip: In formal writing, some traditionalists prefer 'due to' only after a form of the verb 'to be', but it is widely used as a prepositional phrase in modern English.

### 3. owed

adjective · CEFR B1

owed to someone as a debt or a right.

For teachers: owed as a debt or as a moral or legal obligation.

- The library sent a notice because the payment for the lost book was due.
- After months of legal disputes, the court ruled that the back wages were due to the employees immediately.

### 4. appropriate

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

the right amount of something for a situation.

For teachers: proper, adequate, or appropriate for the circumstances.

- Please make sure you handle the equipment with due care.
- The committee reached its decision after due consideration of all the evidence presented during the hearing.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

### 5. directly

adverb · CEFR B2

directly or exactly in a certain direction, usually North, South, East, or West.

For teachers: directly or exactly; used almost exclusively with compass points.

- The ship sailed due north toward the Arctic Circle.
- To find the hidden entrance, the hikers had to travel due east for three miles from the old oak tree.

Usage: Always precedes a direction word.

### 6. membership fees

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

money that you pay regularly to be a member of a group or club.

For teachers: regular payments made by members to an organisation or club to support its activities.

- I forgot to pay my annual union dues this month.
- The club's board of directors voted to increase monthly dues to cover the rising costs of building maintenance.

Usage: Almost always used in the plural form.

Teaching tip: In British English, 'subscriptions' or 'subs' is more common for clubs, though 'dues' is understood in a union context.

### 7. deserved respect

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the respect or credit that someone deserves.

For teachers: that which is deserved or merited, especially in terms of recognition or respect.

- She is a tough boss, but you have to give her her due; she gets results.
- While I disagree with his politics, I must give him his due for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents.

Usage: Commonly used in the idiom 'give someone their due'.

Teaching tip: This is often used when you are about to say something negative but want to acknowledge one positive point first.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.