1. To be obliged to give or pay something back to someone or something else. I owe a new bike to David because I got his run over by a street cleaner.We owe about $1,500 to the bank for the loan we used to pay for our wedding.
2. To attribute one's possession or acquisition of something to someone or something else. I truly owe my happiness to you—I love you so much.The country owes its wealth and global influence to the vast mineral reserves buried in its hills.
owe to
v.
1. To be in debt by some amount to someone: I owe $100 to my brother.
2. To have something because of something or someone else: The family owed its wealth to oil. I owe my rosy complexion to my mother.