{
    "term": "owe",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "owe",
            "heSheIt": "owes"
        },
        "pastSimple": "owed",
        "pastParticiple": "owed",
        "ingForm": "owing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to have to pay somebody for something that you have already received or return money that you have borrowed",
            "sensetop": "owe somebody somethingowe somethingowe something to somebodyowe something to somebody for somethingowe somebody something for something",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She still owes her father £3 000.",
                    "contextForm": "owe somebody something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm still owed three days' leave."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He **owes** more **money** than he can afford to pay.",
                    "contextForm": "owe something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Exactly how much do we owe?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She still owes £3 000 to her father.",
                    "contextForm": "owe something to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The country owes billions of dollars to foreign creditors."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Most hospitals owe money to pharmaceutical companies for medicines and equipment.",
                    "contextForm": "owe something to somebody for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "How much do I owe you for the groceries?",
                    "contextForm": "owe somebody something for something"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Money"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to feel that you ought to do something for somebody or give them something, especially because they have done something for you",
            "sensetop": "owe something to somebodyowe somebody something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I **owe a debt of gratitude** to all my family.",
                    "contextForm": "owe something to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "You **owe it to** your staff to be honest with them."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I **owe a duty** to my family."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You owe me a favour!",
                    "contextForm": "owe somebody something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Thanks for sticking up for me—I **owe you one** *(= I owe you a favour)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I think you **owe** us **an explanation**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I think we're **owed an apology**."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to exist or be successful because of the help or influence of somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "owe something to somebody/somethingowe somebody something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He owes his success to hard work.",
                    "contextForm": "owe something to somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The play owes much to French tragedy."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I owe everything to him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The town **owes its existence** to the minerals that lie below the mountains."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I owe him everything.",
                    "contextForm": "owe somebody something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I knew that I owed the surgeon my life."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to have to obey and support somebody who is in a position of authority or power",
            "sensetop": "owe allegiance/loyalty/obedience (to somebody)",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "All serfs owed allegiance to a lord."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əʊ/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owe__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əʊz/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owes__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əʊd/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈəʊɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owing__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əʊ/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owe__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əʊz/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owes__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əʊd/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈəʊɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ow/owe/owing__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English āgan ‘own, have it as an obligation’, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit īs ‘possess, own’."
}