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Glite Dictionary
because of

because of

∞ 1.0
For a reason that explains why something happened
  • adposition
translation icon : debido a
  • She was late to the meeting because of heavy traffic.
  • because of a lack
  • because of high costs
  • because of concerns

And it hasn't changed one iota because of people like this.

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Examples

  • The event was canceled because of bad weather.

  • Many people lost their jobs because of the economic downturn.

  • I think people do bad things because of their experience.

    Lex Fridman

  • We all became top ten shows because of that show.

  • Is that because of the guy who created your game?

    Gran Turismo (2023)

  • And in large part, it will do so because of Facebook.

  • The world's not a better place because of us.

    The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

  • The nature of joint working will have to change because of the government's health reforms.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Smith withdrew his offer to purchase the property because of the controversy between family members.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Too often, solutions are reinvented because of a lack of awareness of what others are doing.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

due to
vsbecause of
∞ 1.0

Because of something

is a more general way to state the reason without formality
on account of
vsbecause of
66 1.7

Because of something such as illness or rain

is broader and used for general explanations rather than exact causes
what with
vsbecause of
42 6.7

To give reasons that together explain why something happens

is used mainly to state a single straightforward reason
by virtue of
vsbecause of
  • Formal
25 4.5

Because of something

is the neutral everyday way to give a reason
in virtue of
vsbecause of
  • Formal
1 7.5

Because of a quality, fact, or agreement

is the plain phrase for stating a simple reason

How Direct

hereby
  • Formal
153 5.7
because of
∞ 1.0
following
1.0
after
574 1.0

Surface Forms

because of main

Morphology

because + of

The meaning 'due to / on account of' is directly built from 'because' (marks reason/cause) together with the linker 'of' that connects the cause to a following noun phrase. This compositional cause‑relation is common and follows regular English syntax, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

Because of is like a small sentence that points from a result back to its cause: imagine an arrow with because pointing at the reason and the tiny word of joining them. So because of is used to say 'due to' or to give the reason for something.