English Explanatory Dictionary

cause

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.
  2. Sufficient reason.
  3. A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.
  4. Sake; interest; advantage.
  5. Any subject of discussion or debate; a matter; an affair.
  6. A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action.
verb
  1. To set off an event or action; to bring about; to produce.
  2. To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority.
  3. To assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse.
conj
  1. Alternative form of 'cause; because

Pronunciation

/kɔːz/ [kʰoːz̥] /kɔz/ [kʰɔz̥] /ˈkɑz/ en-us-cause.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-cause.wav [kʰɔːz̥]

Word forms

cause causes causing caused no-table-tags glossary causest causedst causeth

Etymology

* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), borrowed from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. Doublet of chose (“(law) a thing; personal property”). See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga. * From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.

Synonyms

basis cause genesis germ origin principle reason root source grounds justification occasion objective purpose aim ambition aspiration end goal intention object success target telos litigation action lawsuit suit

Antonyms

consequence effect result hindrance impediment preventer prohibitor

Related words

effect agency completion finish outcome because because of beginning

Derived words

all-cause because by-cause bycause causal causality causative cause and effect cause célèbre cause celebre causeful causeless cause of action cause of death common cause concause countercause efficient cause external cause final cause first cause for cause forcause formal cause good cause hour of cause intervening cause just cause lost cause make common cause material cause no one should be judge in his own cause order to show cause probable cause protocause proximate cause rebel without a cause root cause root-cause show cause style of cause subcause superseding cause supervening cause with cause without cause uncause causable causation cause a stir causee causer causingness

Translations

Afrikaans: oorsaak Albanian: arsye Albanian: ngajë Arabic: سَبَب Arabic: سبب Armenian: պատճառ Azerbaijani: səbəb Azerbaijani: bais Bashkir: сәбәп Basque: kausa Belarusian: прычы́на Bengali: কারণ Bulgarian: причи́на Bulgarian: по́вод Catalan: causa Cebuano: kawsa Chinese Mandarin: 原因 Czech: příčina Czech: důvod Danish: årsag Dutch: oorzaak Dutch: reden Dutch: aanleiding Esperanto: kaŭzo Estonian: alus Estonian: ajend Estonian: põhjus Etruscan: 𐌂𐌀𐌅𐌔𐌀 Finnish: syy Finnish: juuri Finnish: lähde French: cause French: raison North Frisian: uursaag North Frisian: grünj North Frisian: uursaage North Frisian: (Ockholm) uursååge North Frisian: (Langenhorn) uursaage Saterland Frisian: Uurseeke Saterland Frisian: Gruund West-Frisian: oarsaak Galician: causa Georgian: მიზეზი Georgian: საფუძველი German: Ursache German: Anlass German: Grund Greek: αιτία Greek: λόγος Ancient Greek: αἰτία Haitian Creole: lakòz Hebrew: סיבה \ סִבָּה Hindi: कारण Hungarian: ok Icelandic: orsök Indonesian: kausa Indonesian: penyebab Irish: réasún Irish: siocair Old Irish: accuis Italian: causa Japanese: 原因 Khmer: ហេតុ
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