undue

adjective

un·​due ˌən-ˈdü How to pronounce undue (audio)
-ˈdyü
1
: not due : not yet payable
2
: exceeding or violating propriety or fitness : excessive
undue force

Examples of undue in a Sentence

These requirements shouldn't cause you any undue hardship. His writing is elegant without calling undue attention to itself.
Recent Examples on the Web The agency is investigating allegations that an alcohol policy implemented by the Delhi government in 2022, which ended its control over the sale of liquor in the capital, gave undue advantages to private retailers, according to Reuters. Sania Farooqui, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The complex rules also help guard against such requests having undue influence, the people said. Ann Marimow, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Both Richards and Abell worry that the Department of Agriculture’s most powerful lobbying force—the Kentucky Farm Bureau—would gain undue influence over KDFWR’s season setting and bag limit policies if SB3 were to become law. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024 The point is not to shame or place undue responsibility on these influencers or others, Weissburg is careful to note. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2024 These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 That’s an undue burden on teams in both leagues, when maintaining rhythm and match fitness is such a crucial component of success. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Indeed, the film will probably be enjoyed most by folks not given to undue consideration of such trifling matters as lineage, logic and arrant anachronisms. Joe Leydon, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 Although Tinka believes that assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of undue was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near undue

Cite this Entry

“Undue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undue. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

undue

adjective
un·​due ˌən-ˈd(y)ü How to pronounce undue (audio)
1
: not due
2
: excessive
undue profit

Legal Definition

undue

adjective
1
: not due : not yet payable
an undue bill
2
: exceeding or violating propriety or fitness
would impose undue hardship on the debtors
such a requirement would place an undue burden on employers

More from Merriam-Webster on undue

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