Indebted To: Standard Pattern
Indebted To: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.
Use “indebted to” for being grateful to a person or group because of help or support received.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| grateful because of help, influence, or support | indebted to + person/group | Use “to.” |
| owing money | indebted / in debt to | Financial senses exist, but do not assume the gratitude sense in every context. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you expressing gratitude to the person or group that provided help or support?
If yes: Use “indebted to.”
If no: If the context is literal financial debt, make that meaning explicit where ambiguity matters.
Caveat: “Indebted to” can also occur in literal debt contexts; surrounding wording should make the intended sense clear.
Examples
I am indebted to my colleagues for their careful review.
“To” introduces the people being thanked.
The project is indebted to volunteers who kept the archive running.
The phrase credits support or contribution.
She said she was deeply indebted to her mentor.
The complement names the person to whom gratitude is owed.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “indebted to” for being grateful to a person or group because of help or support received.
Style Boundary
The same adjective can also describe owing money without this complement; the guide does not treat every use of “indebted” as the gratitude construction.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- INDEBTED TO SOMEONE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Cambridge dictionary evidence for indebted to as a documented construction.