English Explanatory Dictionary

because

English dictionary entry

Meanings

conj
  1. By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that.
  2. As is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that.
  3. So that, in order that.
adv
  1. On account, for sake [with of].
  2. For the reason [with that].
intj
  1. Used alone to refuse to provide a full answer to a question begun with "why", usually taken as an anapodoton of the elided full phrase "Because I said so".
prep
  1. On account of, because of.

Pronunciation

/bɪkəz/ /bɪˈkɒz/ /bɪˈkʌz/ /bɪˈkɔːz/ /bɪˈkɔːs/ [bɪˈkɵz] LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-because.wav /biˈkɔz/ /biˈkʌz/ /bəˈkɔz/ /bəˈkʌz/ /bɪˈkɔz/ en-us-because.ogg /bɪˈkɑz/ /bəˈkoːz/ /biːˈkoːz/ /bɪˈkeɪz/

Word forms

because bycause becos 'cause cos cuz coz 'cos 'cuz 'coz b/c bc bcos bcoz bcs bcz bcus ∵

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Old English bī Middle English by Proto-Italic *kaussā Old Latin caussa Latin causabor. Old French causebor. Middle English cause Middle English bi cause English because From Middle English bi cause, from bi (“by”) + cause, modelled on Old French par cause.

Synonyms

since for for that on account of forthy for sake forwhy as inasmuch as sith ∵ as long as because being being as being that due to the fact that forasmuch as given that in regard in that now that seeing that sithence when therefore

Antonyms

even though

Related words

because of cause therefore

Derived words

because is why because you touch yourself at night for because becauseness because of because one can because you say so just because no because because reasons
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