noun
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the act or fact of causing; the production of an effect by a cause
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the relationship of cause and effect
Other Word Forms
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.
I was careful not to formally assert the level of causation.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
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
Ni Lochlainn accepts that to many people this sounds unpleasant - but these studies are important because they suggest a direct line of causation: from a gut microbiome to the age of a body.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
"Everyone has heard it a million times, but it bears repeating: Correlation doesn't equal causation," Gennaro said.
From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2025
I would single out four: methodology, causation, prediction, and complexity.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
