cause célèbre

American  

[kawz suh-leb-ruh, -leb, kohz sey-leb-r^uh] / ˈkɔz səˈlɛb rə, -ˈlɛb, koʊz seɪˈlɛb rə /

noun

causes célèbres plural

1. any controversy that attracts great public attention, as a celebrated legal case or trial.

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cause célèbre British  

/ koz selɛbrə, ˈkɔːz səˈlɛbrə, -ˈlɛb /

noun

1. a famous lawsuit, trial, or controversy

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cause célèbre Cultural  

1. A cause or issue, generally political, that arouses public opinion: “The question of the draft was a cause célèbre in the 1960s.” From French, meaning “celebrated cause.”

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• causes célèbres
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cause célèbre

First recorded in 1755–65; from French: literally, “famous case”

Example Sentences

As a kind of fulcrum for his storytelling, Mr. Davenport uses Elizabeth Bouvia, who in 1983 became a cause célèbre of the right-to-die movement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

By that fall, Drakeo had become a cause célèbre.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

Not surprisingly, the grave miscarriage of justice in his case has attracted national and international attention and made it a cause célèbre for people opposed to the death penalty and many supporters of capital punishment.

From Slate • Oct. 18, 2024

As doubts about the sailors' guilt grew, their families began a campaign on their behalf, which became a cause célèbre in Brazil.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2024

Presently a crony joins Mr. Hayward—soon the elder pair are deep in the cause célèbre of the day.

From Tales from Many Sources Vol. V by Various