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Synonyms

final cause

American  

noun

Aristotelianism.
  1. cause8b


final cause British  

noun

  1. philosophy the end or purpose of a thing or process, as opposed to its efficient cause See cause

"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

Etymology

Origin of final cause

First recorded in 1350–1400

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.

See Examples For:

The final cause of death is pending further testing to determine whether the baby was born alive or stillborn, the affidavit said.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 16, 2024

British actor Julian Sands' final cause of death has been deemed undetermined.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2023

The next day, Mr. Ketler’s body was taken to the city’s morgue, where the final cause of death was established.

From New York Times ● Jul. 3, 2022

Each final cause leads to another, until we get to the first cause or prime mover.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022

He might dissect, anatomise, and give names; but, not to speak of a final cause, causes in their secondary and tertiary grades were utterly unknown to him.

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

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