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causality

American  
[kaw-zal-i-tee] / kɔˈzæl ɪ ti /

noun

  • causalities
    plural
  1. the relation of cause and effect.

    The result is the same, however differently the causality is interpreted.

  2. causal quality or agency.


causality British  
/ kɔːˈzælɪtɪ /

noun

    1. the relationship of cause and effect

    2. the principle that nothing can happen without being caused

  1. causal agency or quality

"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

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Nouns


Etymology

Origin of causality

First recorded in 1595–1605; causal + -ity


Explanation

Causality is the connection between a cause and its result or consequence. It is sometimes hard to figure out the causality of a stomach ache — it could be due to something you ate, or just a result of stress. You'll often find the word causality in scholarly or academic writing. Medical researchers might talk about the causality of various diseases, and a sociologist might study the causality of a childhood in poverty on future trouble in school. This noun comes from the adjective causal, "acting as a cause," from a Latin root, causa, or "cause."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing causality

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.

See Examples For:

Military authorities put effort into messaging that ultimately obscures responsibility and causality, and family members who speak out sometimes fear real repercussions for themselves and loved ones.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Novo’s Dr. Vilsbøll said the payouts aren’t an indicator of causality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

So the causality runs the other way than the petrodollar narrative suggests.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

Completeness and causality are preserved, without invoking exotic new physics.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

Some scientists think that when expansion is followed by contraction, when the spectra of distant galaxies are all blue-shifted, causality will be inverted and effects will precede causes.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

It is unclear if there were any causalities in the strikes on the two camps ordered by US President Donald Trump.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025

Military authorities who rarely report any causalities among their ranks regularly claim victories in their anti-jihadist fight.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025

Earlier it said causalities could be “figures of non-Syrian nationalities.”

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 10, 2024

From the outside, the three most obvious potential cap causalities are wide receiver Keenan Allen, left guard Matt Feiler and tight end Gerald Everett.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2023

Lumsden had no causalities, but did fine shooting, as scouts reported, who passed over ground that had been occupied by the enemy, that quite a number of bodies were left by them on the field.

From A History of Lumsden's Battery, C.S.A. by James Robert Maxwell

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