owing to the delay

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "owing to the delay" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to explain the reason for something happening or not happening due to a delay. Example: "The meeting was postponed owing to the delay in receiving the necessary documents."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Furthermore, we focused on the consequences of previous social inequalities owing to the delay between exposure and diagnosis.

BMC Cancer

Passengers who have ventricular fibrillation aboard commercial aircraft rarely survive, owing to the delay in obtaining emergency care and defibrillation.

Critical Care

Fifthly, owing to the delay in reporting the results of this survey, changes in practice since then may have reduced the applicability of our results.

British Medical Journal

The presence of a barrier to gene flow amplifies the effect owing to the delay produced to the spread of the favourable allele and to the peculiar behaviour of a wave of advance when crossing a barrier [ 41].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Owing to the delay, the ten-ship convoy that they were sent to attack had departed two hours earlier, but there were still plenty of targets.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

My visa was valid for just over 2 years, but owing to the delays in getting into Australia I now need to apply for an extension.

Science Magazine

For glucocorticoid- and anti-TNF-treated patients, the response was evaluated at week 5, and GMA-treated patients were assessed at week 11 post treatment, owing to the delayed response observed in this treatment group.

Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology

Of note, owing to the delayed onset of dyskinesia after introduction of combined STN+SNr stimulation, medication in one patient and nigral stimulation parameters in two patients had to be adjusted during the '3-week follow-up" according to the intention-to-treat principle (detailed below).

Brain

Single- and dual-frequency resonance characteristics are introduced, both of which are achieved owing to the added delay in control.

Mechatronics

In these experiments, it was not possible to study the Daam1 gt/gt embryos obtained owing to the developmental delay associated with this genotype.

DMM Disease Models and Mechanisms

In contrast, correlation between DSQ score and peak eosinophil count (histologic response) was expected to be low (<0.4), owing to the potential time delay between histologic response and symptom improvement.

Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "owing to the delay", ensure the sentence clearly indicates what was affected by the delay. Clarity is crucial for effective communication.

Common error

While "owing to" is generally acceptable, it can sound slightly formal in casual conversation. Consider using "because of" or "due to" in less formal contexts to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "owing to the delay" functions as a causal prepositional phrase. It introduces the reason or cause for a subsequent event or situation, indicating that the delay is the primary factor leading to a specific outcome. Ludwig's examples show it commonly precedes an explanation of the consequences resulting from the delay.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "owing to the delay" serves as a causal phrase, explaining an outcome as a consequence of a delay. While grammatically sound and generally acceptable, as confirmed by Ludwig, its slight formality might make it less suitable for casual contexts. More common alternatives like "due to the delay" or "because of the delay" offer similar meaning with a less formal tone. Predominantly found in scientific and news contexts, this phrase effectively clarifies the cause-and-effect relationship between a delay and its subsequent impact. Remember to consider the intended audience and context when choosing between "owing to the delay" and its more informal counterparts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

because of the delay

Replaces "owing to" with the more common "because of", maintaining a direct causal relationship.

due to the delay

Substitutes "owing to" with "due to", another standard expression indicating causation.

as a result of the delay

Replaces "owing to" with "as a result of", providing a slightly more formal tone while retaining the causal link.

consequently, because of the delay

Adds "consequently" to emphasize the resulting outcome of the delay, making the connection more explicit.

the delay caused

Inverts the structure to highlight the delay as the active cause, followed by the resulting effect.

the delay led to

Similar to "the delay caused", this focuses on the delay as the initiator of the subsequent event.

attributable to the delay

Presents the consequence as something that can be ascribed or credited to the delay.

the delay was responsible for

Assigns responsibility to the delay for the outcome, emphasizing its role.

brought about by the delay

Indicates that the delay was the factor that triggered or initiated the resulting event.

stemming from the delay

Suggests that the outcome originated or arose from the delay, indicating a direct lineage.

FAQs

How can I use "owing to the delay" in a sentence?

Use "owing to the delay" to introduce the reason why something happened or didn't happen, directly attributing the outcome to a delay. For example, "The project's completion was postponed "owing to the delay" in receiving necessary permits."

What's a more common substitute for "owing to the delay"?

A more common substitute is "due to the delay". It carries the same meaning but is generally perceived as less formal and more widely used in everyday language.

Is "owing to the delay" interchangeable with "because of the delay"?

Yes, ""owing to the delay"" and "because of the delay" are largely interchangeable. Both phrases indicate a causal relationship, where the delay is the reason for a particular outcome. The choice often depends on the desired level of formality, with "owing to" sounding slightly more formal.

What's the difference between "owing to" and "due to"?

While often used interchangeably, some grammar purists argue that "due to" should only be used when it can directly follow a form of the verb "to be". However, in modern usage, both "owing to" and "due to" are widely accepted as causal prepositions, with minimal practical difference in meaning.