What does 'in due course' mean?

What it means: "At the appropriate time" or "when the time is right" — without specifying exactly when. It indicates something will happen but on its own schedule.

"Your application will be reviewed in due course."
"We'll make an announcement in due course."

What it really signals: Often used by organisations and officials to acknowledge something without committing to a timeline. It can be genuinely reassuring (don't worry, it's in progress) or evasive (we'll deal with this eventually, please stop asking).

Is it honest? Depends on context. Used genuinely, it means "there's a process and your request is part of it." Used evasively, it's bureaucratic language for "we haven't decided yet and won't commit to when."

• "We'll let you know within two weeks." — clear timeline
• "We're working on it." — honest and brief
• "This is being reviewed." — process-focused

Register: Formal and bureaucratic. Common in official communications, legal documents, and corporate announcements.

Tags: formal English, business writing, bureaucratic language, time expressions