noun
-
the act or fact of causing; the production of an effect by a cause
-
the relationship of cause and effect
Other Word Forms
- causational adjective
- noncausation noun
Etymology
Origin of causation
1640–50; < Medieval Latin causātiōn- (stem of causātiō ), equivalent to causāt ( us ) (past participle of causāre to cause) ( Latin caus ( a ) cause + -ātus -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Use the noun causation to talk about the process of causing something to happen. If you try to sue your brother for your bike accident, you’ll have to prove causation. It’s easy to remember what causation means if you break it apart. Most of the word cause is in there, plus -ation, which you might recognize as a noun suffix that describes an action or process. So causation is the action of causing something. It’s a formal word, and you'll often hear it come up in legal or scientific contexts. If you become a research biologist, you might do experiments to determine causation of a particular kind of cancer.
Vocabulary lists containing causation
The ACT Math Test: Statistics and Probability
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Statistics and Probability
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The SAT Math Test: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He explained that language emphasizing causation over correlation and other results biases is a problem in scientific research at-large, but in his opinion, this is an egregious example.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026
And while correlation does not mean causation, that is when this age-related break occurs.
From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026
Together, he said, “those studies have indicated that a vast share of the causation of autism can be traced to the effects of genetic influences. That is a fact.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
Although the study does not establish causation, it reveals a group of biomarkers that closely resemble those found in older adults with cognitive impairment.
From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2025
Correlation and Causation Correlation and causation are two quite different words, and the innumerate are more prone to mistake them than most.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
