cause

[ kawz ]

/ kɔz /

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See synonyms for: cause / caused / causes / causing on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR cause

9 effect, make, create, produce.

See synonyms for cause on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about 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

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin causa “reason, sake, case”

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

Other definitions 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. 2023

How to use cause in a sentence

Any Republican who dismisses it will be branded a traitor to the cause.
The Republican Party’s future: Being terrorized by its unhinged base|Paul Waldman|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Her son Twm Morys announced the death in a statement but did not state the cause.
Jan Morris, artful travel writer who broke many boundaries, dies at 94|Matt Schudel|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The cause was complications from dementia, said his wife, Ann Langdon-Days.
Drew S. Days III, first African American to lead civil rights division at Justice Department, dies at 79|Emily Langer|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
“If we had a cause for doubt of the safety of our fleet—or any subset of it—simply put, the planes would not fly,” Southwest Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said Wednesday in a customer letter.
The Boeing 737 Max faces an even tougher hurdle now: passenger fear|kdunn6|November 19, 2020|Fortune

The storm surge reached four meters in places and was the principal cause of damage, according to a paper by researchers from the University of Bristol made available as a preprint by the Lancet in October.
Asia’s biggest climate migration|Konstantin Kakaes|November 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
There is the smell here of an indecent rush for scapegoats, even before we know what really caused this crash.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Does the sending of the message “justify” the tragedy that caused it?
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Interview, which caused so much controversy, was never intended for release in South Korean cinemas.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The idea of black Bond caused Limbaugh to exclaim on his show last week that Bond was “white and Scottish, period.”
Rush Limbaugh’s Fear of a Black James Bond|Dean Obeidallah|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her mother made demands about a big ceremony and caused a rift between them.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That which is called nasality is caused by the failure of the tone to reach freely the anterior cavities of the nares.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Her new joy and excitement, her gaiety and zest for life— all had been caused, not by himself, but by another.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
But not only has the name tobacco and the implements employed in its use caused much discussion but also the origin of the plant.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The foreman's immense voice, explaining machines and tools, caused physical vibrations in her.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
After his death crowds flocked to his grave to touch his holy monument, till the authorities caused the church yard to be shut.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cause

cause

In addition to the idioms beginning with cause

cause a commotion
cause raised eyebrows

also see:

lost cause

cause

OTHER WORDS FOR cause

Idioms about cause

Origin of cause

synonym study for cause

OTHER WORDS FROM cause

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cause

Other definitions for cause (2 of 2)

Origin of 'cause

Words related to cause

How to use cause in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cause

Derived forms of cause

Word Origin for cause

Other Idioms and Phrases with cause