cause

[ kawz ]

/ kɔz /

noun

a person or thing that acts, happens, or exists in such a way that some specific thing happens as a result; the producer of an effect: You have been the cause of much anxiety. What was the cause of the accident?

the reason or motive for some human action: The good news was a cause for rejoicing.

good or sufficient reason: to complain without cause; to be dismissed for cause.

Law.

a ground of legal action; the matter over which a person goes to law.
a case for judicial decision.

any subject of discussion or debate.

a principle, ideal, goal, or movement to which a person or group is dedicated: the Socialist cause; the human rights cause.

the welfare of a person or group, seen as a subject of concern: support for the cause of the American Indian.

Philosophy.

the end or purpose for which a thing is done or produced.
Aristotelianism. any of the four things necessary for the movement or the coming into being of a thing, namely a material (material cause ), something to act upon it (efficient cause ), a form taken by the movement or development (formal cause ), and a goal or purpose (final cause ).

verb (used with object), caused, caus·ing.

to be the cause of; bring about.

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Idioms for cause

make common cause, to unite in a joint effort; work together for the same end: They made common cause with neighboring countries and succeeded in reducing tariffs.

Origin of cause

1175–1225; Middle English <Latin causa reason, sake, case

SYNONYMS FOR cause

9 effect, make, create, produce.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR cause ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for cause

1. Cause, occasion refer to the starting of effects into motion. A cause is an agency, perhaps acting through a long time, or a long-standing situation, that produces an effect: The cause of the quarrel between the two men was jealousy. An occasion is an event that provides an opportunity for the effect to become evident, or perhaps promotes its becoming evident: The occasion was the fact that one man's wages were increased. 3. See reason.

OTHER WORDS FROM cause

caus·a·ble, adjectivecaus·a·bil·i·ty, nouncauseless, adjectivecause·less·ly, adverb

cause·less·ness, nouncauser, nounnon·caus·a·ble, adjectiveself-caused, adjectivesubcause, nounun·caus·a·ble, adjectiveun·der·cause, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cause

causality, causation, cause

Words nearby cause

causality paradox, causa sine qua non, causation, causationism, causative, cause, cause a commotion, cause-and-effect, cause célèbre, cause list, cause raised eyebrows

Definition for cause (2 of 2)

'cause

[ kawz, kuhz, unstressed kuhz ]

/ kɔz, kʌz, unstressed kəz /

conjunction Informal.

a shortened form of because.

Origin of 'cause

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; aphetic variant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for cause

Some activists work on both causes, and others see their work as ideologically sympathetic.
How “abolish ICE” helped bring abolitionist ideas into the mainstream|Nicole Narea|July 9, 2020|Vox
The word comes from the grief that these players cause for others.
Words From Minecraft: What Are Your Kids Saying?|Minrose Straussman|July 8, 2020|Everything After Z
She offers, “Equity is about getting to the root causes of the patterns that you’re seeing and not stopping short” at what companies can see through analysis, “but rather, why is the context what it is.”
3 ways companies can combat the major public health issue of racism right now|Anne Sraders|July 7, 2020|Fortune
A seriously wobbly wheel may have compromised bearings in the hub, for instance, which causes it to spin irregularly.
Bring your old bike back to life with these pro restoration tips|Stan Horaczek|July 7, 2020|Popular Science

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite, but it is not contagious because you don’t get it just by being around or coming into contact with an infected person.
“Contagious” vs. “Infectious”: The Difference Can Be Important|John Kelly|July 5, 2020|Everything After Z
So we know that boring down to the bedrock and pumping it full of fluid can cause earthquakes.
26 Earthquakes Later, Fracking’s Smoking Gun Is in Texas|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If Dudesmash were to be something we continued doing, this would be an important year to do it, ‘cause we didn’t do one last year.
Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll|James Joiner|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We hope that the aircraft is found quickly, and we can find out the cause of what has happened,” he said.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, that means suppressing fire or cutting down all the pretty uninfected trees can cause mistletoe outbreaks.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Sometimes elevating the heart rate will cause additional pounding in your head,” says Crandall.
5 Hangover Cures to Save You After a Few Too Many|DailyBurn|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The advent of technological application in the farming sector was a cause of both optimism and disquiet.
Frying Pan Farm|Elizabeth Brown Pryor
What defect in the feed valve will cause the brake pipe pressure to equalize with that in the main reservoir?
The Traveling Engineers' Association|Anonymous
Mrs. Page could not get back of Harriet's revolt to its cause.
K|Mary Roberts Rinehart
Yes, the sun shines on us, and may it shine on our country's cause.
The Cruise of the "Lively Bee"|John De Morgan
Lily tossed the missile into the other girl's lap, for she was too eager to open her own two letters to cause any further delay.
The Girl Scouts' Good Turn|Edith Lavell

British Dictionary definitions for cause

cause

/ (kɔːz) /

noun

a person, thing, event, state, or action that produces an effect

grounds for action; motive; justificationshe had good cause to shout like that

the ideals, etc, of a group or movementthe Communist cause

the welfare or interests of a person or group in a disputethey fought for the miners' cause

a matter of widespread concern or importancethe cause of public health

a ground for legal action; matter giving rise to a lawsuit
the lawsuit itself

(in the philosophy of Aristotle) any of four requirements for a thing's coming to be, namely material (material cause), its nature (formal cause), an agent (efficient cause), and a purpose (final cause)

make common cause with to join with (a person, group, etc) for a common objective

verb

(tr) to be the cause of; bring about; precipitate; be the reason for

Derived forms of cause

causable, adjectivecausability, nouncauseless, adjectivecauser, noun

Word Origin for cause

C13: from Latin causa cause, reason, motive

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

Idioms and Phrases with cause

cause

In addition to the idioms beginning with cause

cause a commotion
cause raised eyebrows

also see:

lost cause

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cause

noun

verb (used with object), caused, caus·ing.

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Idioms for cause

Origin of cause

SYNONYMS FOR cause

synonym study for cause

OTHER WORDS FROM cause

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cause

Words nearby cause

Definition for cause (2 of 2)

conjunction Informal.

Origin of 'cause

Example sentences from the Web for cause

British Dictionary definitions for cause

noun

verb

Derived forms of cause

Word Origin for cause

Idioms and Phrases with cause

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

cause

noun

verb (used with object), caused, caus·ing.

QUIZZES

TEST YOUR RELATIONSHIP WORTH WITH THESE DATING ACRONYMS

Idioms for cause

Origin of cause

SYNONYMS FOR cause

synonym study for cause

OTHER WORDS FROM cause

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cause

Words nearby cause

Definition for cause (2 of 2)

conjunction Informal.

Origin of 'cause

Words related to cause

Example sentences from the Web for cause

British Dictionary definitions for cause

noun

verb

Derived forms of cause

Word Origin for cause

Idioms and Phrases with cause