causal

adjective

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caus·al | \ ˈkȯ-zəl

Definition of causal

1 : expressing or indicating cause : causative a causal clause introduced by since

2 : of, relating to, or constituting a cause the causal agent of a disease

3 : involving causation or a cause : marked by cause and effect a causal link evidence suggests that there is a strong causal relationship between an individual's experiences with his parents and his later capacity to make affectional bonds— G. A. Miller

4 : arising from a cause a causal development

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Examples of causal in a Sentence

No causal connection between the events was found. There is a causal link between poverty and crime.

Recent Examples on the Web The only causal link that’s emerged so far between vaccines and deaths has occurred in some women who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. — Lois K. Solomon, sun-sentinel.com, 6 Dec. 2021 The only causal link that’s emerged so far between vaccines and deaths has occurred in some women who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. — Lois K. Solomon, sun-sentinel.com, 6 Dec. 2021 Frank Hogue, an attorney for Greg McMichael, said the state had not shown a causal link between alleged felonies such as false imprisonment and Arbery’s death, arguing Arbery could have kept running. — Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2021 The only causal link that’s emerged so far between vaccines and deaths has occurred in some women who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. — Lois K. Solomon, sun-sentinel.com, 6 Dec. 2021 Critics and exponents of trauma theory alike are equally taken by the oddity that no mere causal explanation of trauma’s nature as either an individual or collective phenomenon seems possible. — Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 This is because the AI follows a deterministic approach, based on a causal graph that learns and updates in real time. — Bernd Greifeneder, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 The only causal link that’s emerged so far between vaccines and deaths has occurred in some women who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. — Lois K. Solomon, sun-sentinel.com, 4 Nov. 2021 But proof of a causal link proved stubbornly elusive, and the studies’ definitions of violence rarely aligned. — Michelle Delgado, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Oct. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'causal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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causal

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Last Updated

20 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Causal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/causal. Accessed 26 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for causal

causal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of causal

: relating to or showing the cause of something

: making something happen : causing something

See the full definition for causal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

causal

adjective

caus·al | \ ˈkȯ-zəl

Legal Definition of causal

1 : of, relating to, or constituting a cause causal negligence

2 : involving causation or a cause no causal relationship between driving without insurance and the accident — National Law Journal a causal link exists between the deceptive act and the injury — National Law Journal

3 : arising from a cause