Revised as of
26 June 2023
I sure opened up a can of worms. I’m not sure why I got the bug to explore because of versus due to, but it has been a confusion of words, for sure. Y’all will love it as it leaves options wide open for ya.
Further research indicates that because of
Conflict Over Because Of and Due To
I’ve added this section due to a conflict between authorities regarding because of versus due to — Merriam Webster is flexible while others are more particular.
TIP: Use because of if due to can be replaced by as a result of.
Merriam Webster is also flexible about due to.
TIP: GMAT suggests that if replacing due to with caused by sounds right, you’re good. If the sentence doesn’t sound right, due to is the wrong choice.
Merriam Webster Makes Choices Easier
Follow Merriam-Webster and you can do anything you like.
Pay attention to GMAT Club or Marjorie Skillin in Words into Type, and you’ll be parsing like nobody’s business. Hmmm, let me think which way most of you will choose, lol.
Making it easier to make the right choice for you:
- Merriam-Webster is one of the dictionaries preferred by publishers and editors, so it carries a lot of weight
- GMAT Club is an interactive MBA community that serves as a central point for business school applicants to improve their chances of getting into an MBA program
- Words into Type is a go-to reference book for editors
I have to confess I’m partial to Merriam-Webster for fiction and the other two when it comes to non-fiction. Hope this helps!
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Because Of versus Due To” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Because Of | Due To |
|---|---|
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adverbial Prepositional Phrase: Conjunction + Preposition | Adjectival Phrase: Adjective + Preposition |
Modifies (GMAT Club):
On account of By reason of As a result of As a consequence of Owing to Due to Thanks to By virtue of In virtue of [Formal] By reason of |
Modifies nouns and pronouns only
Caused by or ascribable to Because of *, † Owing to **, † * Merriam-Webster lists because of as a synonym for due to ** Merriam-Webster accepts due to as an acceptable usage in place of owing to and states that it has been “recognized as a standard for decades”. † Skillin (371) states you can’t use these phrases to define/replace due to because due to is a compound preposition. |
| Examples: | |
| They moved here because of the baby.
They were late because of the snowstorm. The roads were slippery because of the rain. It was because of her exceptionally high scores, she was able to start at Level 3. It is cold in Arizona because of the westward storm coming from the Pacific (GMAT Club). Because of modifies the clause presenting the reason why it is cold in Arizona. |
Unemployment due to automation grew steadily.
Due to the rains, crops are rotting in the fields. He had to withdraw due to a knee injury. His failure was due to insufficient study. Arizona’s cold wave is due to the westward storm coming from the Pacific (GMAT Club). Arizona’s cold wave is caused by the westward storm coming from the Pacific. |
| History of the Word: | |
| Its first known use was in the 14th century.
Middle English from the phrase by cause was influenced by the Old French par cause de meaning by reason of. |
Its first known use was in 1897. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Because Of vs Due To
Apple Dictionary.com
Merriam-Webster: because of (<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/because%20of>) and due to (<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due%20to>)
Skillin, Marjorie E., Robert M. Gay, and other authorities. Words into Type. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1974. Third edition. Print.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Full Moon Party is Per_Meistrup‘s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. Covid-19 Testing by Circe Denyer is in the public domain, via Public Domain Pictures.net.
