Word
causality
Phoneticscausal·i·ty
US/ˌkɔˈzɑɫɪti/
UK/kɔːsˈælɪti/
Definition
n. the relationship between two things where one causes the other to happen. It is the idea that one event makes another event happen.
n. the relationship between an event and a second event that occurs as a direct consequence. Often used in scientific or philosophical contexts to describe the mechanism of cause and effect.
Examples
“The study shows a clear causality between smoking and lung disease.”
“Researchers are trying to establish the causality between the new drug and the patient's improved health.”
“In physics, the principle of causality ensures that an effect cannot occur before its cause, maintaining a logical order within the universe.”
Examples
simple
“The study shows a clear causality between smoking and lung disease.”
contextual
“Researchers are trying to establish the causality between the new drug and the patient's improved health.”
complex
“In physics, the principle of causality ensures that an effect cannot occur before its cause, maintaining a logical order within the universe.”
Real-World Examples
“Causality will be hard to prove—was it really the words of the chatbot that put the murderer over the edge?” “As with its association with other health outcomes, the causality has been widely debated, particularly with respect to the dose and frequency of alcohol consumed.” “Natural philosophy was concerned chiefly with understanding natural bodies—their form, motion, shape—and the causalities that altered or affected these bodies.” “This phenomenon reminds us how deeply anchored is our need for coherence, causality and stability—even among those who have severe brain damage.” Etymology
From Latin as if *causalitas, from causalis (“causal”), from causa (“cause”). By surface analysis, causal + -ity = cause + -ality.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/causality