Definition of cause

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< causative

'cause >

cause    (kôz) KEY 

NOUN:

1. 1. The producer of an effect, result, or consequence.
   2. The one, such as a person, event, or condition, that is responsible for an action or result.
2. A basis for an action or response; a reason: The doctor's report gave no cause for alarm.
3. A goal or principle served with dedication and zeal: "the cause of freedom versus tyranny" (Hannah Arendt).
4. The interests of a person or group engaged in a struggle: "The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind" (Thomas Paine).
5. Law
   1. A ground for legal action.
   2. A lawsuit.
6. A subject under debate or discussion.

TRANSITIVE VERB:
caused, caus·ing, caus·es

1. To be the cause of or reason for; result in.
2. To bring about or compel by authority or force: The moderator invoked a rule causing the debate to be ended.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin causa, reason, purpose

OTHER FORMS:
causa·ble(Adjective), causeless(Adjective), causer(Noun)

SYNONYMS:
cause, reason, occasion, antecedent

These nouns denote what brings about or is associated with an effect or result. A cause is an agent or condition that permits the occurrence of an effect or leads to a result: "He is not only dull in himself, but the cause of dullness in others" (Samuel Foote). Reason refers to what explains the occurrence or nature of an effect: There was no obvious reason for the accident. Occasion is a situation that permits or stimulates existing causes to come into play: "The immediate occasion of his departure ... was the favorable opportunity ... of migrating in a pleasant way" (Thomas De Quincey). Antecedent refers to what has gone before and implies a relationshipbut not necessarily a causal onewith what ensues: Some of the antecedents of World War II lie in economic conditions in Europe following World War I.