- (subordinating) on account of the fact that; on account of being; since: because it's so cold we'll go home
- because of ⇒ (preposition) on account of: I lost my job because of her
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
be•cause /bɪˈkɔz, -ˈkʌz/USA pronunciation
conj.
prep.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- for the reason that;
due to the fact that:always late because it took so long to get dressed.
prep.
- Idioms because of, for the reason of;
on account of;
due to:The train was late because of the bad weather.
- Use because before the reason or cause for something when there are two clauses you are joining; use because of when a noun phrase, not a clause, describes the reason for something.
be•cause
(bi kôz′, -koz′, -kuz′),USA pronunciation conj.
- for the reason that;
due to the fact that:The boy was absent because he was ill. - Idioms because of, by reason of;
due to:Schools were closed because of heavy snowfall.
- Middle English bi cause by cause 1275–1325
- 1. Because, as, since, for, inasmuch as agree in implying a reason for an occurrence or action. Because introduces a direct reason:I was sleeping because I was tired.As and since are so casual as to imply merely circumstances attendant on the main statement:As(or since) I was tired, I was sleeping. The reason, proof, or justification introduced by for is like an afterthought or a parenthetical statement:I was sleeping, for I was tired.Inasmuch as implies concession; the main statement is true in view of the circumstances introduced by this conjunction:Inasmuch as I was tired, it seemed best to sleep.
- 1. See reason.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
because /bɪˈkɒz; -ˈkəz/ conj
'because' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
açaí
- account
- adult
- African National Congress
- akathisia
- alder
- All Blacks
- alternative
- amadou
- amerce
- americium
- amoeba
- anabaena
- AND circuit
- anxious
- Atlantic
- automatic pilot
- aventurine
- barn
- bed
- bed-blocking
- bedridden
- bimonthly
- biweekly
- biyearly
- Black Caps
- Black Isle
- blasé
- blende
- blow
- blue baby
- boulevard
- bounce
- bric-a-brac
- brush discharge
- bumbailiff
- butterscotch
- call
- call in
- call off
- calomel
- camelopard
- camouflage
- campion
- Canada balsam
- canasta
- candidate
- cannon fodder
- carbon fibre
- abandon
