due
English meaning: Due
Definition
Deserved acknowledgment.
Example
“Give him his due — he is a good actor.”
Another example: “The report is due on Friday, so we must work quickly.”
Usage — When, Where & How
As an adjective, expected or scheduled ('the train is due'), owing ('rent is due'), or proper ('with due care'). As a noun, what is owed or deserved ('give him his due'); 'dues' are membership fees. 'Due to' means caused by or, increasingly, because of. Common in all registers.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old French 'deu', past participle of 'devoir' (to owe), from Latin 'debere'; entered English in the 14th century.
Synonyms
- appropriate
- cod
- merited
- delinquent
- collect
- anticipated
- overdue
- deserved
- owed
- collectible
Antonyms / Opposites
- undue
- unwarranted
Related Words
- proximity
- lack
- injury
- constraints
- difficulties
- illness
- injuries
- concerns
- poor
- differences
Common Collocations
- due to
- due date
- due care
- in due course
- pay your dues
- duly due
Word Forms
due (adj, n & adv); dues (pl.)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B