how come (/haʊ ˈkʌm/)
phrase · Intermediate · Question Words
🔊 /haʊ ˈkʌm/
Meaning
Meaning: why
An informal way to ask why something happened.
Examples
🗣 How come you didn’t tell me about the change of plan?
Etymology
A shortening of ‘how does it come that’, recorded from the 18th century.
How & Where It’s Used
Informal and conversational; common in American English.
Tags: question, informal