n.
- The producer of an effect, result, or consequence.
- The one, such as a person, event, or condition, that is responsible for an action or result.
- A basis for an action or response; a reason: The doctor's report gave no cause for alarm.
- A goal or principle served with dedication and zeal: "the cause of freedom versus tyranny" (Hannah Arendt).
- 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).
- Law.
- A ground for legal action.
- A lawsuit.
- A subject under debate or discussion.
- To be the cause of or reason for; result in.
- To bring about or compel by authority or force: The moderator invoked a rule causing the debate to be ended.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin causa, reason, purpose.]
causable caus'a·ble adj.causeless cause'less adj.
causer caus'er n.
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 relationship-but not necessarily a causal one-with what ensues: Some of the antecedents of World War II lie in economic conditions in Europe following World War I.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
