# causative

/ˈkɑzətɪv/ (US) · /kˈɔːsətˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/causative
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. acting as a cause

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

acting as the reason why something happens.

For teachers: acting as a cause or contributing to the production of an effect. Non-gradable in its scientific and logical application.

- Smoking is a causative factor in many different types of lung disease.
- Epidemiologists identified the contaminated water supply as the primary causative agent in the recent outbreak of illness.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

Teaching tip: In general English, 'causal' is more common; 'causative' is preferred in medical or scientific contexts.

### 2. grammar form

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

describing a verb or sentence that shows someone making someone else do an action.

For teachers: expressing a cause or causation, specifically regarding a grammatical construction where an agent causes a patient to perform an action.

- In the sentence 'I had the mechanic fix my car,' the verb 'had' is causative.
- The professor explained how causative verbs like 'make,' 'let,' and 'have' function differently regarding the use of the infinitive.

Usage: Used to describe verbs, clauses, or specific linguistic structures.

Teaching tip: This is a core concept for B2-C1 learners when studying structures like 'have something done' or 'make someone do something'.

### 3. a causative verb or form

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

a word or form that expresses the idea of causing an action.

For teachers: a linguistic form, such as a verb or affix, that indicates an agent is causing a subject to act or change state.

- The teacher asked the students to identify the causative in each sentence.
- In some languages, the causative is formed by adding a specific suffix to the root of the verb.

Usage: A countable noun in linguistic analysis.

Teaching tip: Rarely used by students; primarily found in grammar books and linguistic research.

## Examples

- Smoking is a causative factor in lung disease.
- The study identified poverty as a causative agent in many health problems.
- In linguistics, a causative construction transforms an intransitive verb into a transitive one, as when 'to die' becomes 'to kill' — to cause to die.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.