due

Due is a versatile term with several interrelated meanings. In English, as an adjective it denotes something owed, payable, expected, or appropriate. It can designate a deadline or a condition that should be met, as in a due date or due time. As a noun, due refers to sums owed, often used in the plural as dues.

The origin of due is Latin debere, "to owe." In everyday finance and administration, a payment is described as due when it must be made by a specified date. The phrase due process refers to the legal requirement that law must be applied fairly; due diligence and due regard express obligations of care and respect.

In other languages, due has different meanings. In Italian, due means the number two, and it appears in musical terms as well. In music, a due indicates two performers or voices performing together, reflecting the sense of pairing.

Common English phrases include due date, due time, due to, and dues such as membership dues. The word remains common in legal, financial, and administrative contexts as a marker of obligation, timing, or entitlement.