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cause célèbre
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cause cé·lè·bre

noun \ˌkȯz-sə-ˈleb, -ˈle-brə, ˌkōz-, -ˈlebrə\
plural causes cé·lè·bres also causes celebres \same\

Definition of CAUSE CÉLÈBRE

1
: a legal case that excites widespread interest
2
: a notorious person, thing, incident, or episode
See cause célèbre defined for English-language learners »

Variants of CAUSE CÉLÈBRE

cause cé·lè·bre also cause ce·le·bre \ˌkȯz-sə-ˈleb, -ˈle-brə, ˌkōz-, -ˈlebrə\

Examples of CAUSE CÉLÈBRE

  1. <a cause célèbre from some reality TV show whose fame hadn't even lasted the proverbial 15 minutes>

Origin of CAUSE CÉLÈBRE

French, literally, celebrated case
First Known Use: 1763

Related to CAUSE CÉLÈBRE

Synonyms
big name, celebrity (also cause celebre), celeb, figure, icon (also ikon), light, luminary, megastar, name, notability, notable, notoriety, personage, personality, somebody, standout, star, superstar, VIP
Antonyms
nobody, noncelebrity

Rhymes with CAUSE CÉLÈBRE

Johnny Reb, spiderweb, World Wide Web

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