/ əʊ; NAmE oʊ/ verb (not used in the progressive tenses)
1.
owe sth (to sb) (for sth) | owe (sb) sth (for sth) to have to pay sb for sth that you have already received or return money that you have borrowed :
[ vnn , vn ]
She still owes her father £3 000.
She still owes £3 000 to her father
[ vn ]
The country owes billions of dollars to foreign creditors.
How much do I owe you for the groceries?
( figurative )
I'm still owed three days' leave.
2.
owe sth to sb | owe sb sth to feel that you ought to do sth for sb or give them sth, especially because they have done sth for you :
[ vn ]
I owe a debt of gratitude to all my family.
You owe it to your staff to be honest with them.
[ vnn ]
You owe me a favour!
Thanks for sticking up for me—I owe you one (= I owe you a favour) .
I think you owe us an explanation.
I think we're owed an apology.
HELP NOTE : The passive is not used in this meaning except with a person as the subject: An apology is owed to us.
3.
owe sth to sb/sth | owe sb sth to exist or be successful because of the help or influence of sb/sth :
[ vn ]
He owes his success to hard work.
The play owes much to French tragedy.
[ vn , vnn ]
I owe everything to him.
I owe him everything.
[ vnn ]
I knew that I owed the surgeon my life.
4.
[ vn ] owe allegiance / loyalty / obedience (to sb) ( formal ) to have to obey or be loyal to sb who is in a position of authority or power
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English āgan own, have it as an obligation , of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit īs possess, own.