causal

American  

[kaw-zuhl] / ˈkɔ zəl /

adjective

1. of, constituting, or implying a cause.

2. Grammar. expressing a cause, as the conjunctions because and since.

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causal British  

/ ˈkɔːzəl /

adjective

1. acting as or being a cause

2. stating, involving, or implying a cause

   the causal part of the argument

3. philosophy (of a theory) explaining a phenomenon or analysing a concept in terms of some causal relation

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Other Word Forms

• causally adverb
• noncausal adjective
• noncausally adverb
• supercausal adjective
• uncausal adjective

Etymology

Origin of causal

1520–30; < Latin causālis, equivalent to caus ( a ) cause + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Others including OpenAI say the jury is out on how much of a causal role AI plays and whether those affected would have suffered mental illness anyway.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Analysis suggests that increase in pollution levels was associated with increase in number of patients attending emergency rooms. However, this study design cannot provide confirmation that the association is causal," the government told parliament.

From BBC

According to the court filings, the company conducted internal studies that found causal links between social media use and mental health issues, such as increased social comparison, anxiety and depression.

From Salon

Microplastics are the current bete noire and rightly so, but we’re still in the dark about the causal calamity of a past era’s chemical polluting.

From Los Angeles Times

Years of research demonstrate that there is no causal link between vaccinations and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.

From Barron's

Related Words

• creative
• imaginative
• innovative
• inventive
• seminal
• unconventional
• unusual