cause

noun

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\ ˈkȯz

Definition of cause

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a reason for an action or condition : motive

b : something that brings about an effect or a result trying to find the cause of the accident

c : a person or thing that is the occasion of an action or state a cause for celebration especially : an agent that brings something about She is the cause of your troubles.

d : sufficient reason discharged for cause

2a : a ground of legal action

b : case They are paid by the cause for their expert opinions.

3 : a matter or question to be decided The city council is involved with school department causes.

4a : a principle or movement militantly defended or supported the insurgents' cause

b : a charitable undertaking for a good cause

cause

verb

caused; causing

Definition of cause (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to serve as a cause or occasion of cause an accident

2 : to compel by command, authority, or force caused him to resign

Other Words from cause Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cause

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Examples of cause in a Sentence

Noun His symptoms had no apparent physical causes. She is the cause of all their problems. The medicine was prescribed without good cause. Their marriage was a cause for celebration. I can support a cause that means something to me. I'm willing to donate money as long as it's for a good cause. Verb He swerved and caused an accident. The flood caused great hardship. The illness is caused by a virus. The flood caused the town great hardship. You caused us a lot of extra work.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Investigators determined that the cause of the crashes was a faulty computer system that pushed the plane's nose downward in flight and couldn't be overridden by pilots. — David Rising, Star Tribune, "European aviation agency: 737 Max to be cleared next week," 19 Jan. 2021 On Friday, an autopsy confirmed the cause of death was homicide, troopers said. — Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, "Woman found dead along Parks Highway likely was killed days earlier, troopers say," 19 Jan. 2021 The cause was complications of Covid-19, his daughter, Nicole Audrey Spector, said. — New York Times, "Phil Spector, Famed Music Producer and Convicted Murderer, Dies at 81," 17 Jan. 2021 The cause of death was traumatic asphyxiation caused by compression from the substantial weight of the dirt. — Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, "Victim identified in collapse of trench at Huntsville worksite," 17 Jan. 2021 Her son, Daniel, said the cause was pancreatic cancer. — Richard Sandomir, BostonGlobe.com, "Shirley Abrahamson, trailblazing Wisconsin judge, dies at 87," 16 Jan. 2021 The cause was congestive heart failure, said his son Christopher King. — Washington Post, "Community deaths," 15 Jan. 2021 The cause is still officially under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service. — oregonlive, "New lawsuit filed against PacifiCorp alleging negligence in Slater fire," 14 Jan. 2021 He was hospitalized in Rome for cancer, though the cause of death was complications from Covid-19, the report said. — Bloomberg.com, "N.Y. Cases Slow After Record; New Strain in Japan: Virus Update," 10 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb And now another variant has been identified that may also cause faster spread of disease. — Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus variants will prolong the pandemic. But here’s how it will end," 23 Jan. 2021 The new variant may cause more of the virus to lodge in the upper respiratory tract, making transmission through conversation or, heaven forbid, a cough, more probable. — Anna Russell, The New Yorker, "The New COVID-19 Variant Sends Britain into a Crisis," 21 Jan. 2021 Recent neuroimaging research suggests heavy use of certain video games may cause brain changes linked to addictive behaviors. — Matt Richtel, New York Times, "Children’s Screen Time Has Soared in the Pandemic, Alarming Parents and Researchers," 16 Jan. 2021 Some may cause cancer, result in low infant birth weights, and increase cholesterol levels, among a host of other health issues, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. — Washington Post, "U.S. regulator finalizes rule banning banks from refusing loans to some business sectors," 14 Jan. 2021 Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to tighten Germany’s lockdown, fearing a more contagious coronavirus variant may cause infections to spiral out of control. — Bloomberg.com, "N.Y. Deaths Surge; Germany Weighs Tighter Lockdown: Virus Update," 13 Jan. 2021 While more contagious strains may not cause worse illness, a strain that causes more COVID-19 cases overall could easily overwhelm already stressed health care systems. — Dallas News, "What do virus mutations mean for the COVID-19 vaccine?," 10 Jan. 2021 Delays in breast and colorectal cancer screenings and treatment may cause an additional 10,000 deaths over the next decade, the report estimated. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "Key 2020 health stories you may have missed because of Covid-19," 28 Dec. 2020 But the devices can fail, and drugging the animals to attach them may cause harm. — Helen Santoro, Scientific American, "New App Tracks Black Rhinos through Their Footprints," 28 Dec. 2020

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

History and Etymology for cause

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin causa "judicial proceedings, interests of one side in a judicial case, plea, pretext, ground of action, motive, reason," of uncertain origin

Verb

Middle English causen, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French causer, borrowed from Medieval Latin causāre, causārī "to plead, accuse, blame, serve as the cause of, occasion," going back to Latin causārī "to plead an action in law, plead as an excuse," derivative of causa "judicial proceedings, plea, cause entry 1"

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Dictionary Entries near cause

cause/create/leave a vacuum

cause for concern

Statistics for cause

Last Updated

27 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Cause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cause. Accessed 1 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for cause

cause

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cause

(Entry 1 of 2)

: something or someone that produces an effect, result, or condition : something or someone that makes something happen or exist

: a reason for doing or feeling something

: something (such as an organization, belief, idea, or goal) that a group or people support or fight for

cause

verb

English Language Learners Definition of cause (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make (something) happen or exist : to be the cause of (something)

: to make (someone) feel, have, or do something

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

cause

noun

\ ˈkȯz

Kids Definition of cause

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a person or thing that brings about a result Carelessness is the cause of many accidents.

2 : a good or good enough reason for something His return was a cause for rejoicing.

3 : something supported or deserving support a worthy cause

cause

verb

caused; causing

Kids Definition of cause (Entry 2 of 3)

: to make happen or exist You'll cause an accident.

cause

conjunction

\ ˈkȯz

, ˈkəz \

Kids Definition of cause (Entry 3 of 3)

: because

cause

noun

Legal Definition of cause

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something that brings about an effect or result the negligent act which was the cause of the plaintiff's injury

Note: The cause of an injury must be proven in both tort and criminal cases.

— actual cause

: cause in fact in this entry

— but-for cause

: cause in fact in this entry

— cause in fact

: a cause without which the result would not have occurred

— called also actual cause, but-for cause

— concurrent cause

: a cause that joins simultaneously with another cause to produce a result

— called also concurring cause

— compare intervening cause and superseding cause in this entry

— direct cause

: proximate cause in this entry

— efficient intervening cause

: superseding cause in this entry

— intervening cause

1 : an independent cause that follows another cause in time in producing the result but does not interrupt the chain of causation if foreseeable

— called also supervening cause

— compare concurrent cause and superseding cause in this entry

2 : superseding cause in this entry

— legal cause

: proximate cause in this entry

— procuring cause

: one (as a broker) that sets in motion a continuous series of events culminating especially in the sale or leasing of real estate entitled to a commission as the procuring cause of the sale even though the listing had expired

— producing cause

: an efficient, exciting, or contributing cause (as an act, practice, or event) that produces an injury which would not have occurred without it claimed that the workplace accident was a producing cause of his disability —used especially in workers' compensation and consumer protection cases

Note: A producing cause lacks the element of foreseeability associated with a proximate cause, being more exclusively concerned with causation in fact.

— proximate cause

: a cause that sets in motion a sequence of events uninterrupted by any superseding causes and that results in a usually foreseeable effect (as an injury) which would not otherwise have occurred

— called also direct cause, legal cause

— see also Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co. — compare remote cause in this entry

— remote cause

: a cause that is followed by a superseding cause interrupting the chain of causation also : a cause that in ordinary experience does not lead to a particular effect — compare proximate cause in this entry

— superseding cause

: an unforeseeable intervening cause that interrupts the chain of causation and becomes the proximate cause of the effect

— called also efficient intervening cause, intervening cause

— compare concurrent cause and intervening cause in this entry

— supervening cause

: intervening cause in this entry

2 : a reason or justification for an action or state (as belief): as

a : good cause in this entry an appeal dismissed for cause

b : just cause in this entry behavior that constitutes cause to terminate an employee

Note: The circumstances under which cause, good cause, just cause, probable cause, reasonable cause, or sufficient cause exists are determined on a case by case basis. These terms are often used interchangeably, and the distinctions between them are sometimes unclear.

— good cause

: a substantial reason put forth in good faith that is not unreasonable, arbitrary, or irrational and that is sufficient to create an excuse for an act under the law unable to show good cause for failure to pay child support neglect of duty is good cause for removal of a trustee

— just cause

1 : cause that a person of ordinary intelligence would consider a fair and reasonable justification for an act —used especially in cases involving termination of employment and denial of unemployment benefits

2 : good cause in this entry

— probable cause \ ˈprä-bə-bəl- \

1 : a reasonable ground in fact and circumstance for a belief in the existence of certain circumstances (as that an offense has been or is being committed, that a person is guilty of an offense, that a particular search will uncover contraband, that an item to be seized is in a particular place, or that a specific fact or cause of action exists) when supported by probable cause, warrantless search of vehicle may extend to every part of vehicle where objects of search might be concealed — State v. Nixon, 593 N.E.2d 1210 (1992)

— called also reasonable cause, sufficient cause

— compare reasonable suspicion

Note: The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution stipulates that “no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.” Probable cause is also required for a warrantless arrest. Probable cause is an objective standard rather than a function of subjective opinion or suspicion not grounded in fact or circumstance. However, the facts or circumstances need not be of the nature of certainty necessary to establish proof in court.

2 : justification for an administrative search based on a showing that it is to be conducted in accordance with standardized nonarbitrary regulatory procedures designed to further public interest in regulatory enforcement that outweighs the intrusiveness of the search

— reasonable cause

1 : probable cause in this entry also : a fact or circumstance that justifies a reasonable suspicion — compare reasonable suspicion

2 : a reason that would motivate a person of ordinary intelligence under the circumstances reasonable cause to believe abuse had occurred

3 : something (as an event or the exercise of ordinary care or prudence) that excuses or justifies failure to file a tax return on time

— sufficient cause

: cause that is deemed enough to provide an excuse under the law: as

a : good cause in this entry —often used in the phrase good and sufficient cause

b : probable cause in this entry

3a : a ground of a legal action tortious conduct is not a cause of divorce embraced within the statutory cause of cruel and inhuman treatment — Case & Comment

b : case questions of law…determinative of the cause then pending— R. T. Gerwatowski

4 in the civil law of Louisiana : the reason for making a contract — compare frustration sense 2

Note: Under the Louisiana Civil Code, if a contract's cause is illicit or immoral, the contract is absolutely null. If the cause fails after the contract is made (as when a leased building cannot be occupied because of a fire), the contract may either be not enforced or only partially enforced.

cause

transitive verb

caused; causing

Legal Definition of cause (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to serve as the cause of the scales struck the plaintiff causing injuries for which she sues — Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R. Co., 162 N.E. 99 (1928)

2 : to effect by command, authority, or force the administrator shall cause an investigation to be made

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