Standard Lemma guide

IOU

noun · phrase · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: AY2 OW2 Y UW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • When David couldn’t afford to match the money in the poker pot, he added an IOU for the remaining amount instead.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

I owe you.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Customarily, if you borrow $10 for lunch from a coworker, writing IOU $10 on a yellow sticky note acts as a legal promissory note that you will repay said amount on payday.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an informal debt instrument; representing `I owe you'

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: note, promissory note, note of hand

History

Etymology

From the pronunciation of "I owe you". Attested since at least 1618.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Choctaw: aheka — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Danish: skylderklæring — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Dutch: schulderkenning — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Dutch: schuldbekentenis — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Finnish: velkakirja — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • French: reconnaissance de dette — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • German: Schuldanerkenntnis — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • German: Schuldanerkennung — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Greek: υποσχετική (yposchetikí) — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Hungarian: adósságelismervény — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Hungarian: elismervény adósságról — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Italian: riconoscimento di debito — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Japanese: 借用書 (shakuyousho) — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Latin: syngrapha — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Plautdietsch: Schultbewiess — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Polish: kwit dłużny — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Polish: skrypt dłużny — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Romansh: renconuschientscha dal debit — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Russian: расписка (raspiska) — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Spanish: reconocimiento de deuda — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Spanish: pagaré — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Spanish: abonaré — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Swedish: enkelt skuldebrev — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument
  • Welsh: dylednod — informal promissory note that is not a negotiable instrument