cause

[ kawz ]

See synonyms for: cause caused causes causing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that acts, happens, or exists in such a way that some specific thing happens as a result; the producer of an effect: You have been the cause of much anxiety. What was the cause of the accident?
the reason or motive for some human action: The good news was a cause for rejoicing.

good or sufficient reason: to complain without cause; to be dismissed for cause.
Law.
- a ground of legal action; the matter over which a person goes to law.
- a case for judicial decision.
any subject of discussion or debate.
a principle, ideal, goal, or movement to which a person or group is dedicated: the Socialist cause; the human rights cause.
the welfare of a person or group, seen as a subject of concern: support for the cause of the American Indian.
Philosophy.
- the end or purpose for which a thing is done or produced.
- Aristotelianism. any of the four things necessary for the movement or the coming into being of a thing, namely a material (material cause ), something to act upon it (efficient cause ), a form taken by the movement or development (formal cause ), and a goal or purpose (final cause ).

verb (used with object),caused, caus·ing.

to be the cause of; bring about.

Idioms about cause

make common cause, to unite in a joint effort; work together for the same end: They made common cause with neighboring countries and succeeded in reducing tariffs.

Origin of cause

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin causa “reason, sake, case”

synonym study For cause

1. Cause, occasion refer to the starting of effects into motion. A cause is an agency, perhaps acting through a long time, or a long-standing situation, that produces an effect: The cause of the quarrel between the two men was jealousy. An occasion is an event that provides an opportunity for the effect to become evident, or perhaps promotes its becoming evident: The occasion was the fact that one man's wages were increased. 3. See reason.

Other words for cause

9	effect, make, create, produce

See synonyms for cause on Thesaurus.com

Other words from cause

caus·a·ble, adjective
caus·a·bil·i·ty, noun
causeless, adjective
cause·less·ly, adverb
cause·less·ness, noun
causer, noun
non·caus·a·ble, adjective
self-caused, adjective
subcause, noun
un·caus·a·ble, adjective
un·der·cause, noun

Words that may be confused with cause

causality, causation, cause

Other definitions for 'cause (2 of 2)

'cause

[ kawz, kuhz, unstressed kuhz ]

conjunctionInformal.

a shortened form of because.

Origin of 'cause

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; aphetic variant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cause in a sentence

But Cosby Truthers are applying their principles to the wrong cause.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
So we know that boring down to the bedrock and pumping it full of fluid can cause earthquakes.
26 Earthquakes Later, Fracking’s Smoking Gun Is in Texas | James Joiner | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
These days weather should never cause a commercial airliner to crash.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501 | Clive Irving | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
If Dudesmash were to be something we continued doing, this would be an important year to do it, ‘cause we didn’t do one last year.
Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll | James Joiner | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Michelle Obama tweeting a hashtag is somehow cause for outrage.
Political Memes That Absolutely Must Die in 2015 | Asawin Suebsaeng | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST

Whether they had ever, at different times, pleaded for or against the same cause, and cited precedents to prove contrary opinions?
Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan Swift
Without any known cause of offence, a tacit acknowledgement of mutual dislike was shewn by Louis and de Patinos.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
There is cause for alarm when they bring one hundred and ten ships into these seas without any means of resistance on our part.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624 | Various
If we are to have a real education along lines of expression we must begin with the "content," or cause, of expression.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Rapidity of action and a self-confidence which on the battlefield never felt itself beaten were the cause of Murat's success.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for cause

cause

/ (kɔːz) /

noun

a person, thing, event, state, or action that produces an effect
grounds for action; motive; justification: she had good cause to shout like that

the ideals, etc, of a group or movement: the Communist cause
the welfare or interests of a person or group in a dispute: they fought for the miners' cause
a matter of widespread concern or importance: the cause of public health
- a ground for legal action; matter giving rise to a lawsuit
- the lawsuit itself
(in the philosophy of Aristotle) any of four requirements for a thing's coming to be, namely material (material cause), its nature (formal cause), an agent (efficient cause), and a purpose (final cause)
make common cause with to join with (a person, group, etc) for a common objective

verb

(tr) to be the cause of; bring about; precipitate; be the reason for

Origin of cause

C13: from Latin causa cause, reason, motive

Derived forms of cause

causable, adjective
causability, noun
causeless, adjective
causer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with cause

cause

In addition to the idioms beginning with cause

cause a commotion
cause raised eyebrows

also see:

lost cause

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