cause and effect
noun
plural causes and effects
: the direct relationship between an action or event and its consequence or result
Toys that make noise when interacted with … offer auditory stimulation and teach cause and effect.—
Maya Polton and Katrina Cossey
Maya Polton and Katrina Cossey"Human nature is to look for cause and effect," says Robert Baloh, professor of neurology and head and neck surgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. … "I see this daily when I see patients. They're all sure something they ate or something they did caused their problem and their symptoms."—Frank Bures
Frank Bures… focused on observable and verifiable causes and effects in the natural world …—Rafi Eis
Rafi EisExamples of cause and effect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite the results, researchers emphasized that the study was observational and cannot prove cause and effect.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The agency’s website previously listed 50 indicators showing the cause and effect of climate change, and the cherry blossom historical information was among those.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
The observational study could not establish direct cause and effect, with the authors noting that more research is needed to address existing disparities.
—Dr. Anna Jinnah, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
The forty-three-year gap between provocation and retaliation is a void between cause and effect into which all temporal logic vanishes.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cause and effect
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Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The agency’s website previously listed 50 indicators showing the cause and effect of climate change, and the cherry blossom historical information was among those.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
The observational study could not establish direct cause and effect, with the authors noting that more research is needed to address existing disparities.
—Dr. Anna Jinnah, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
The forty-three-year gap between provocation and retaliation is a void between cause and effect into which all temporal logic vanishes.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cause and effect
Cite this Entry
“Cause and effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cause%20and%20effect. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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