material cause
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of material 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 tribunal said that her protected disclosures were "an effective or material cause of her treatment".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2023
While de Duve appreciated the poetic way the writers of Genesis interpreted the shortcomings of human nature, he believed that Natural Selection was the obvious material cause.
From Forbes • May 8, 2013
There is no functional reason for the height of a 13th century cathedral nave either; such building goes beyond a simple equation of material cause and effect.
From Time Magazine Archive
You can substitute lead piping for glass, so again the material cause is irrelevant; any pipe sealed at one end will work.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
There are no formal or final causes, and the material cause never varies.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
