'cause - The Dictionary

causemake, create, produce: cause a riot; bring about; a principle or movement to which one is dedicated: a worthy causeNot to be confused with:caws ? the harsh, grating cries of certain birds, such as crowsAbused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreecause (kôz) n. 1. a. The producer of an effect, result, or consequence. b. The one, such as a person, event, or condition, that is responsible for an action or result. 2. A basis for an action or response; a reason: The doctor’s report gave no cause for alarm. 3. A goal or principle served with dedication and zeal: “the cause of freedom versus tyranny” (Hannah Arendt). 4. 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). 5. Law a. A lawsuit or criminal prosecution. b. The ground or basis for a lawsuit. 6. A subject under debate or discussion. tr.v. caused, caus·ing, caus·es 1. To be the cause of or reason for; result in. 2. 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, cause, grounds for a lawsuit, lawsuit, of unknown origin.] caus?a·ble adj. cause?less adj. 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 something that brings on or precipitates an action, condition, or event: “Injustice provides the occasion for change” (Alan Dershowitz). 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. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.cause (k??z) n1. a person, thing, event, state, or action that produces an effect2. grounds for action; motive; justification: she had good cause to shout like that. 3. the ideals, etc, of a group or movement: the Communist cause. 4. the welfare or interests of a person or group in a dispute: they fought for the miners’ cause. 5. a matter of widespread concern or importance: the cause of public health. 6. (Law) a. a ground for legal action; matter giving rise to a lawsuitb. the lawsuit itself7. (Philosophy) (in the philosophy of Aristotle) any of four requirements for a thing’s coming to be, namely material (material cause), its nature (formal cause), an agent (efficient cause), and a purpose (final cause)8. make common cause with to join with (a person, group, etc) for a common objectivevb (tr) to be the cause of; bring about; precipitate; be the reason for[C13: from Latin causa cause, reason, motive] ?causable adj ?causa?bility n ?causeless adj ?causer nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014cause (k?z) n., v. caused, caus?ing. n. 1. a person that acts or a thing that occurs so as to produce a specific result: the cause of the accident. 2. the reason or motive for some action: a cause for rejoicing. 3. good or sufficient reason: to complain without cause. 4. a. a ground of legal action. b. a case for judicial decision. 5. a principle, ideal, goal, or movement to which a person or group is dedicated: the Socialist cause; the human rights cause. v.t. 6. to be the cause of; bring about. Idioms: make common cause, to unite in a joint effort. [1175?1225; Middle English (

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’cause