Iou

Pronunciation: /aɪ.oʊ.juː/

Definitions of IOU

noun an abbreviation for 'I owe you'

Example Sentences

A1 I owe you money for the lunch.

A2 He gave me an IOU for the borrowed books.

B1 She wrote an IOU note to her friend for the concert tickets.

B2 The IOU was a legally binding document that outlined the repayment terms.

C1 The IOU was signed by both parties and witnessed by a notary public.

C2 The IOU was presented in court as evidence of the debt owed.

Examples of IOU in a Sentence

formal I will need you to sign this IOU document to acknowledge the debt.

informal Hey, can you write me an IOU for the money I owe you?

slang I'll hit you back later, just jot down an IOU for now.

figurative Their friendship was like an IOU, always there to be redeemed when needed.

Grammatical Forms of IOU

• past tense: IOUed
• plural: IOUs
• comparative: more IOU
• superlative: most IOU
• present tense: IOU
• future tense: will IOU
• perfect tense: have IOUed
• continuous tense: is IOUing
• singular: IOU
• positive degree: very IOU
• infinitive: to IOU
• gerund: IOUing
• participle: IOUed

Origin and Evolution of IOU

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'IOU' is believed to have originated in medieval England as a written acknowledgment of a debt owed.

Evolution of the word: Originally used as a written promise to pay a debt, 'IOU' has evolved to become a commonly used abbreviation for 'I owe you' in modern informal language.