causative

adjective

caus·​a·​tive ˈkȯ-zə-tiv 

1

: effective or operating as a cause or agent

causative bacteria of cholera

2

: expressing causation

specifically : being a linguistic form that indicates that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being

causative noun

causatively adverb

Examples of causative in a Sentence

A virus was found to be the causative agent of smallpox.

Recent Examples on the Web

Intoxication was not a causative factor in the crash, CHP Officer Jasmine Lopez said. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025

Environmental factors seem to play a crucial role in promoting the disease’s development and progression, but the exact causative agents are unknown. —Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025

But conservatives have sought to tie a causative link between left-wing rhetoric about the end of democracy under Trump and political violence in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025

Whether a causative link between these and earth’s temperature exists seems to remain an open question. —Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English causatyf (as noun; Old Scots causative as adjective), borrowed from Medieval Latin causātīvus, going back to Late Latin, "expressing reason, of a cause," from Latin causātus (past participle of causārī "to plead an action in law, plead as an excuse") + -īvus -ive — more at cause entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for causative

• positive
• dispositive
• electropositive
• seropositive

Kids Definition

causative

adjective

caus·​a·​tive ˈkȯ-zə-tiv 

: making something happen or exist

a causative agent of disease

Legal Definition

causative

adjective

caus·​a·​tive ˈkȯ-zə-tiv 

1

: effective or operating as a cause

the causative negligent act

2

: causal sense 2

the causative link between stress and coronary artery disease

—National Law Journal