Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

causality

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

noun

plural

causalities
  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

Other Word Forms

  • noncausality noun

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.

But his history is a useful reminder that no divine causality is ultimately needed to account for Athens’—or any nation’s—demise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Now, “the arrow of causality has flipped” on the view that “AI is killing the jobs first, and that’s what’s making the economy sick.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

His recent writings in The Wall Street Journal External link , however, exhibit a confidence about money growth and balance sheet causality that exceeds the humility he has emphasized in the past.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

A paper listed as support for the myocarditis threat, for example, states, “no causality can be assumed or established” linking the condition to the vaccine because of the lack of a control group for comparison.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2025

I wondered if he had been there the whole time, caught in a temporal causality loop while I was out playing soccer/non-American football and being humiliated for having an intact foreskin.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram