chiefly owing to

USAGE SUMMARY

"chiefly owing to" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You would use this phrase to describe a result or effect that is mainly attributable to a certain cause, situation, or factor. For example: "The fantastic success of our company can be attributed chiefly owing to the hard work of our employees."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The LDL apoB-100 concentration aLDL apoB-100antly fell with ezetimibe plus weight loss (−12%), concentration to alsoncreasignificantlyresponding felltional catabolic rate (+29%).

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Under normal situation, the localization pattern of AKT-S129D is chiefly nuclear, owing to its constitutive activity due to phospho mimicking, but upon inhibition of CK2 activity, the nuclear level of active AKT declines significantly, while increases in the cytoplasmic fraction, as it happens when PML is overexpressed.

Cell Death and Disease

The changing pattern during the 11-year period manifests that the increasing deaths associated with diabetes should chiefly be owed to cardiovascular diseases but have nothing to do with diabetes as the underlying cause, that is, other diabetic complications and diabetes without complications.

BMC Endocrine Disorders

There is an inherent conservatism to the legal profession, owing to its commitment to working chiefly through existing institutions and to the fact that law itself is predominantly intended to satisfy expectations arising from inherited patterns of behaviour.

Encyclopedia Britannica

This was chiefly due to their uncertainty as to whether dyspnoea limited activity owing to the presence of other limiting conditions (eg, arthritis).

Heart

Even with the remarkable success in managing thrombotic events, the long-term use of heparins and coumarins is associated with a number of drawbacks which chiefly include unavoidable risk of bleeding, narrow therapeutic window, variable patient response and various other complications owing to their non-specific binding, food and drug interactions and immunologic reactions [ 6– 8].

BioMed Research International

Venezuela and Nigeria are unreliable, owing to civil strife.

The Economist

Turnout was low, owing to the snow.

The Economist

They have become collectables owing to nostalgia.

BBC

£2.2m is owed to HMRC.

Independent

What do we owe to "The Debt"?

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "chiefly owing to", ensure the sentence clearly identifies the primary cause and its resulting effect. This phrase works best when you want to emphasize a single, dominant factor.

Common error

Avoid using "chiefly owing to" when multiple factors contribute significantly to the result. If several causes are nearly equal, consider a phrase like "partly due to" or "influenced by" to reflect the shared impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "chiefly owing to" functions as a causal connector, indicating that a particular factor is the primary reason or cause for a specific outcome or situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is used to attribute a result mainly to a specific cause.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

32%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "chiefly owing to" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that functions as a causal connector, primarily found in formal writing. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is used to indicate that a result or effect is mainly attributable to a specific cause. While relatively uncommon, it is most frequently used in scientific, news and encyclopedic contexts to provide reasoned explanations. When using "chiefly owing to", ensure that you clearly identify the dominant cause and its resulting effect.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

primarily because of

Focuses more directly on the cause as the main reason.

mainly attributable to

Highlights the source or agent to which something can be assigned.

largely due to

Similar in meaning, but slightly less formal.

mostly a result of

Emphasizes the outcome or consequence.

principally caused by

Stronger emphasis on causation.

primarily a consequence of

Highlights the resulting effect.

predominantly stemming from

Suggests origin or derivation.

chiefly as a consequence of

Adds emphasis on the result.

fundamentally resulting from

Focuses on the core or basic cause.

primarily triggered by

Emphasizes the initiating factor.

FAQs

How can I use "chiefly owing to" in a sentence?

Use "chiefly owing to" to indicate the main cause or reason for something. For example: "The project's delay was "chiefly owing to" unforeseen circumstances."

What are some alternatives to "chiefly owing to"?

Some alternatives include "mainly due to", "primarily because of", or "largely attributable to".

Is it correct to say "mainly owing to" instead of "chiefly owing to"?

Yes, "mainly owing to" is a similar and often interchangeable phrase. However, "chiefly" might imply a slightly stronger emphasis on the primary cause.

What is the difference between "owing to" and "due to"?

"Owing to" and "due to" are often used interchangeably, but "owing to" tends to emphasize a cause or reason, whereas "due to" can also describe a result or consequence. So while you can say "The cancellation was due to rain", using "owing to rain" in that sentence may imply rain was the responsible factor.