in due course
12
3.5
- idiom
- Formal
:
a su debido tiempo
- The documents will be processed and sent to you in due course, so please be patient.
And we get to some of those things, though of course not all of them in due course.
- And we get to some of those things, though of course not all of them in due course.
- She did amend her view in due course, became Baroness Lee and was a very active parliamentarian.
- And I take it that Homi Baba will probably introduce them in due course.
- If someone has hope, even if he loses all the other things, he can still in due course of time do his best.
Examples
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And in due course, our children would have to make their peace with this same fact.
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But we'll get to that in due course unless you interpret it right.
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And, in due course, I did get called up for flying training.
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I'll get your name in due course.
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We will return to this qualification in due course.
Academic text (2001) -
The police will find her in due course, if they haven't found her already.
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The court will now adjourn and judgment will be given in due course.
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This tribunal will examine the evidence and in due course render its verdict.
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Students see this process as meaningful and, in due course, discover their innate talents.
Academic text (2007) -
We will endure, persevere, and in due course, we will be vindicated.
Blog text (4)
Synonyms
∞
3.0
After a long time
83
2.9
At the right moment to do something
16
3.2
Happen at the right time, neither too late nor too early
13
3.4
Something happens at the right time
1
4.4
It happens at the right time
Antonyms
How Soon
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'at the appropriate or expected time' is directly derivable from combining 'in' (within), 'due' (expected/scheduled) and 'course' (a sequence or progression), so the phrase compositionally denotes 'within the expected course/time.' This structure is common and has close equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
In due course may come from old formal writing where due meant 'expected' and course meant a path or route, like a letter arriving along its route when the time was right. So, in due course now means 'at the right time' or 'eventually'.