cause
/kɔːz
/noun
1A person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition: the cause of the accident is not clear...
- This way of thinking led to his distinctive ideas about the causes of natural phenomena.
- Visiting Alice in hospital, Byrne would often ask the psychiatrists for an explanation for her condition, a root cause.
- We must also determine the causes of this phenomenon.
Synonyms
source, root, origin, beginning(s), starting point, seed, germ, genesis, agency, occasion;
mainspring, base, basis, foundation, bottom, seat;
originator, author, creator, producer, agent, prime mover, maker;
Latin fons et origo
literary fountainhead, wellspring, fount, begetter
rare radix
1.1 [mass noun] Reasonable grounds for doing, thinking, or feeling something: Faye’s condition had given no cause for concern [count noun]: class size is a cause for complaint in some schools...
- Lopez is said to have promised not to dismiss him ‘without good cause or reason’.
- Vandalism and criminal damage caused by airguns is an increasing problem which is giving cause for concern according to police.
- When the horse suffered a mild fetlock injury on July 22 it was a cause for concern but no cause for panic.
Synonyms
reason, grounds, justification, call, need, necessity, occasion, basis, motive, motivation, inducement, excuse, pretext, purpose, stimulus, provocation
2A principle, aim, or movement to which one is committed and which one is prepared to defend or advocate: she devoted her whole adult life to the cause of deaf people I’m raising money for good causes...
- Kent Kaiser likewise has a long record as public advocate for conservative causes, and particularly those of the religious right.
- However you choose to play the numbers game, these protests clearly did not represent a movement of people committed to a cause.
- Since his retirement, Cronkite has been an outspoken advocate of liberal causes.
Synonyms
principle, ideal, belief (in), conviction, tenet;
object, end, aim, objective, purpose, interest;
movement, enterprise, undertaking, charity
3A matter to be resolved in a court of law: forty-five causes were entered in the list for the March session...
- Another possibility is to make them costs in the cause in the Supreme Court.
- The first is the expedition of the hearing of the cause in this Court.
- The applicant seeks an order for removal into this Court of part of a cause pending in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
3.1An individual’s case offered at law: the rule that no man should be a judge in his own cause...
- He always fought individual causes with the same passion that he applied to collective ones.
- Every individual shall have the right to have his cause heard.
- At the same time, the reluctance of some women with legitimate causes to plead a suit of force and fear at all, hints that they feared the courts might have condoned the use of coercion.
Synonyms
case, suit, lawsuit, action, dispute, contention, point of view
verb [with object]
Make (something, especially something bad) happen: this disease can cause blindness [with object and infinitive]: we have no idea what has happened to cause people to stay away [with two objects]: you could cause them problems...
- Miss Young said his mixed race had caused him problems and led to bullying at school.
- The foam and plastic from the seats caused the fire to spread rapidly though the bus.
- Swindon Council may also serve a warning notice on riders causing a noise nuisance.
Synonyms
bring about, give rise to, be the cause of, lead to, result in, create, begin, produce, generate, originate, engender, spawn, occasion, effect, bring to pass, bring on, precipitate, prompt, provoke, kindle, trigger, make happen, spark off, touch off, stir up, whip up, induce, inspire, promote, foster
literary beget, enkindle
rare effectuate
Phrases
cause and effect
cause of action
in the cause of
make common cause
a rebel without a cause
Derivatives
causable
causeless
/ adjective ...- I am afraid that before long no one will be able to talk to me because I will burst into spontaneous, seemingly causeless laughter and that plus the sarcasm will irritate people and scare them away.
- These last two arguments make the point that causality is necessary for the operation of morality in the world, and to introduce a causeless free will is to make the teaching of morality or its motivation by punishment or reward pointless.
- Mr. Webster defines ‘freak’ as a sudden causeless change of mind, a whim of fancy, a vagary, a caprice.
causer
- We plan to pursue this very hard to catch the trouble causers responsible.
- They have been completely absorbed, so they aren't wreckers and problem causers any more.
- I would like to ascertain that it is not the claimer/victim of the accident who is putting premiums up but the causer of the accident for their stupidity or lack of attention.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin causa (noun), causare (verb).