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Synonyms

causality

American  
[kaw-zal-i-tee] / kɔˈzæl ɪ ti /

noun

  • causalities
    plural
  1. the relation of cause and effect.

    The result is the same, however differently the causality is interpreted.

  2. causal quality or agency.


causality British  
/ kɔːˈzælɪtɪ /

noun

    1. the relationship of cause and effect

    2. the principle that nothing can happen without being caused

  1. causal agency or quality

"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 Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of causality

First recorded in 1595–1605; causal + -ity

Explanation

Causality is the connection between a cause and its result or consequence. It is sometimes hard to figure out the causality of a stomach ache — it could be due to something you ate, or just a result of stress. You'll often find the word causality in scholarly or academic writing. Medical researchers might talk about the causality of various diseases, and a sociologist might study the causality of a childhood in poverty on future trouble in school. This noun comes from the adjective causal, "acting as a cause," from a Latin root, causa, or "cause."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing causality

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:

"While it's an association and not proof of causality, it does raise an important clinical question that now deserves much more attention."

From Science Daily Jun. 10, 2026

So the causality runs the other way than the petrodollar narrative suggests.

From Barron's May 27, 2026

But his history is a useful reminder that no divine causality is ultimately needed to account for Athens’—or any nation’s—demise.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 10, 2026

Now, “the arrow of causality has flipped” on the view that “AI is killing the jobs first, and that’s what’s making the economy sick.”

From MarketWatch Feb. 27, 2026

Topics can relate to types of thing, to causality, to comparisons of scale, and so on and so forth.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Military authorities who rarely report any causalities among their ranks regularly claim victories in their anti-jihadist fight.

From Barron's Oct. 20, 2025

Earlier it said causalities could be “figures of non-Syrian nationalities.”

From Seattle Times Feb. 10, 2024

From the outside, the three most obvious potential cap causalities are wide receiver Keenan Allen, left guard Matt Feiler and tight end Gerald Everett.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 27, 2023

Gusev’s press service did not refute reports of mass causalities, and a local news outlet deleted a report that had called the information fake.

From Washington Post Nov. 7, 2022

Escaping the above perils and causalities, and arrived at maturity, they become the prey and food of the otter and heron, king's fisher, gull, &c., who emulate man in their destructive propensities.

From The Teesdale Angler by R. Lakeland

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