formal cause
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of formal cause
Middle English word dating back to 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.
The formal cause of Kory's death is still unknown.
From BBC
While the formal cause of Mr Petryszyn's death has not been confirmed, tests showed he had "spice" in his system - a lab-made drug that mimics the effects of cannabis and is illegal.
From BBC
“If this is true, then no matter the formal cause the responsibility for the premature death is Vladimir Putin personally, who first gave the green light to the poisoning of Alexei and then put him in prison,” said Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled Russia tycoon turned opposition figure in exile, speaking in an online statement.
From Seattle Times
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Thursday but no formal cause of death was established, with further tests due to be carried out.
From BBC
A pathologist had given the formal cause as unascertained due to the state of decomposition of the body.
From BBC
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.
