What does "cause" mean?

1. (reason for an event) the person, thing, or event that makes something happen. 2. (a social goal) a goal or idea that people support or fight for because they believe it is right. 3. (legal case) a case that is being decided in a court of law. 4. (to make happen) to make something happen, especially something bad. 5. (because) a short, informal way of saying 'because'.

cause — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "The cause for the accident was ice."?

No — say "The cause of the accident was ice.". Use the preposition 'of' after the noun 'cause' when identifying the source of a problem.

Q: Is it correct to say "The rain caused that the game stopped."?

No — say "The rain caused the game to stop.". The verb 'cause' is followed by an object and a 'to-infinitive', not a 'that' clause.

Word

01reason for an event

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. the person, thing, or event that makes something happen.

n. the producer of an effect; the person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition.

“The police are still trying to find the cause of the fire.”

“Determining the root cause of the structural failure required a thorough investigation by a team of forensic engineers.”

Pitfall

The cause for the accident was ice.

The cause of the accident was ice.

Use the preposition 'of' after the noun 'cause' when identifying the source of a problem.

Synonyms

reason origin source

Antonyms

effect result consequence

02a social goal

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a goal or idea that people support or fight for because they believe it is right.

n. a principle, aim, or movement that because of its perceived value is supported with dedication.

“They organized a concert to raise money for a good cause.”

“She devoted her entire professional life to the cause of environmental protection, lobbying for stricter regulations on industrial waste.”

Synonyms

movement ideal mission

03legal case

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal · Technical

n. a case that is being decided in a court of law.

n. a ground of action or a lawsuit brought before a court for adjudication.

“The judge dismissed the cause due to a lack of evidence.”

“The plaintiff's counsel argued that there was sufficient cause to proceed with a full trial despite the defendant's motion for summary judgment.”

Synonyms

lawsuit case action

04to make happen

A2 · Elementary

v. to make something happen, especially something bad.

v. to be the agent or occasion of an event; to bring about a result through action or influence.

“The heavy rain caused a lot of problems for drivers this morning.”

“The sudden increase in interest rates caused a significant slowdown in the local housing market over the following quarter.”

Pitfall

The rain caused that the game stopped.

The rain caused the game to stop.

The verb 'cause' is followed by an object and a 'to-infinitive', not a 'that' clause.

Synonyms

lead to produce trigger

Antonyms

prevent stop

05because

B1 · Intermediate Informal · Slang

conj. a short, informal way of saying 'because'.

conj. an aphetic form of 'because' used to introduce a reason or explanation.

“I didn't go to the party 'cause I was feeling tired.”

“He decided to quit his job 'cause he couldn't stand the long commute anymore.”

Usage

Often written with an apostrophe as 'cause to show the missing letters.

Synonyms

since as

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “cause” in context.

01. cause change 02. cause conflict 03. cause difficulty 04. cause failure 05. cause shift 06. failure cause 07. frequently cause 08. mainly cause 09. movement cause 10. potentially cause 11. primary cause 12. principal cause

cause vs make

Make focuses on the result or forced action, while cause focuses on the origin of a negative or neutral event.

RememberMake leads to a result; cause starts a problem.

cause vs reason

A reason is the motive or justification for a human action, while a cause is the physical force that produces a specific result.

RememberReason = Rationale. Cause = Catalyst.

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.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

causality(C1)

causation(C1)

cause(A2)

ADJECTIVE

causal(C1)

causative(C1)

CONJUNCTION

because(A1)

agency because of beginning completion effect espouse finish goal outcome sympathizer