cause-and-effect
Americanadjective
Usage
What does cause-and-effect mean? Cause-and-effect describes a relationship between actions or events in which at least one action or event is a direct result of the others.Let’s say that you slam your toe into a desk and then yell in pain. Slamming your toe (the first action) hurts, so you yell (the second action). The first action is the cause of the second action, that is, the effect. A cause is a source or producer of effects. An effect is the result or consequence of a cause. The two actions have a cause-and-effect relationship.A cause-and-effect relationship can have multiple causes and one effect, as when you stay up all night and skip breakfast (the causes), you will likely find yourself cranky (the effect).A cause-and-effect relationship can also have one cause but many effects, as when staying up all night (the cause) makes you both cranky and tired (the effects).And, of course, a cause-and-effect relationship can have multiple causes and multiple effects, as when skipping classes and not studying (the causes) result in you not understanding the material and failing the class (the effects).
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.
This integration allowed the researchers to detect cause-and-effect relationships among genes across the entire genome.
From Science Daily
"Some methods also make unrealistic assumptions, such as ignoring feedback loops between genes. Our approach takes advantage of information encoded in DNA to enable the identification of true cause-and-effect relationships between genes in the brain."
From Science Daily
The researchers found that the most significant gene disruptions occur in excitatory neurons -- the nerve cells that send activating signals -- where nearly 6,000 cause-and-effect interactions revealed extensive genetic rewiring as Alzheimer's progresses.
From Science Daily
One of the most important advantages of this technology is its ability to help identify cause-and-effect relationships in the brain.
From Science Daily
However, additional research is needed to confirm direct cause-and-effect relationships.
From Science Daily
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.
