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Due is an adjective that means 'owed' or 'deserved,' or expected to happen at a particular time. If a bill or a piece of work is due, that means it needs to be paid or submitted immediately. As a noun, due refers to something that you have to pay or give someone. Dues, always in the plural, is a regular fee or contribution, normally paid to an organization. As an adverb used before a direction, like "north" or "south," due means 'directly' or 'exactly.'
Example sentences
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Give the boy the credit that is due to him; he tried very hard.
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Peter paid his staff the wages that were due to them.
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The train is due in half an hour.
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Charlotte's baby is due next month.
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My mother always pays her bills before they are due.
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Edward was a very good father, to give him his due.
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Members must pay their dues by the end of the month.
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Follow this road due south for two miles, then turn west.
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Words often used with due
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with all due respect: an expression used when you are going to say something the listener will not like. Example: "With all due respect, Paul, I think you are wrong about this."
pay your dues: earn respect by working hard. Example: "Erica paid her dues for years before she finally got a promotion."
due date: the date a baby is due. Example: "My husband is taking time off work around my due date to make sure he is there for the birth."
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Multi-word forms
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due to: caused by. Example: "The car accident was due to the bad weather."
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Did you know?
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People often ask pregnant women when they are due, when what they are really asking is when the baby is due to be born. Example: "Congratulations! That's wonderful news! When are you due?"
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Origin
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Due dates back to the late 13th or early 14th century and comes from the Latin word dēbēre, meaning 'to owe,' and the Anglo-French and Middle French word deu, the past participle of the verb devoir.
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