cause en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /kɑz/ (cot-caught-merger)
- (California) audio
- audio North Carolina
- /kɒz/ (Canada)
- /kɔz/ without the cot–caught merger
- /kɔːz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [kʰoːz̥] (Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard)
- /koːz/ (Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard)
- /kɔz/ (Scotland)
- [kʰɔːz̥] (Scotland)
- [kʰo̞ːz̥] (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
* 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.
Meanings
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(countable, often, qualifier:typically of adverse results, with-of) The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.
They identified a burst pipe as the cause of the flooding.
He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:We thanke you both, yet one but flatters vs, As well appeareth by the cauſe you come, Namely, to appeale each other of high treaſon.
1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 23, column 1:
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(especially, uncountable, with for and a bare noun) Sufficient reason.
There is no cause for alarm.
He has no cause to do that.
The end of the war was a cause for celebration.
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(countable) A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.
I'm not fighting for anything anymore, except myself. I'm the only cause I'm interested in.
1942, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Casablanca, spoken by Rick (Humphrey Bogart):The part they take against me is from zeal to the cause.
1796, Edmund Burke, A Letter from the Right Honourable Edmund Burke to a Noble Lord, on the Attacks Made upon Him and His Pension, […], London: […] J. Owen, […], and F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC:"I thought you were loyal to the cause, Paul." “I was,” Grayson answered. “Then I saw the kind of people who share your vision, and I had a change of heart.”
2008, Drew Karpyshyn, “Epilogue”, in Mass Effect: Ascension, Del Rey Books, →ISBN, page 341:God befriend us, as our cause is just.
c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:There is much to regret about America's failure in Vietnam. The reasons are etched in black marble on the Washington Mall. But we had believed the cause that America had asked us to serve in Vietnam was a worthy one, and millions who defended it had done so honorably.
1999, John McCain, Faith of My Fathers, New York: Random House, →ISBN, page 348:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Sake; interest; advantage.
I did it not for his cause.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 7:12:
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(countable, obsolete) Any subject of discussion or debate; a matter; an affair.
What counsel give you in this weighty cause?
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
- (countable) A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| causes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
consequence · result · impediment · effect · preventer · effect · prohibitor · result · hindrance
Deriveds
lost cause · root-cause · causative · with cause · material cause · for cause · cause célèbre · all-cause · cause of action · without cause · intervening cause · efficient cause · causeful · protocause · cause celebre · common cause · hour of cause · make common cause · forcause · because · no one should be judge in his own cause · show cause · formal cause · countercause · proximate cause · good cause · probable cause · cause of death · concause · just cause · supervening cause · by-cause · false cause · root cause · order to show cause · uncause · external cause · causality · rebel without a cause · cause and effect · motor cause · bycause · final cause · first cause · superseding cause · style of cause · causal · causeless · subcause
Hyponyms
mainspring · prime mover · wellspring · first cause · first mover · fountainhead · springhead · primum mobile · wellhead
Relateds
effect · beginning · completion · because · finish · agency · because of · outcome
Synonyms
litigation · target · basis · telos · objective · genesis · source · basis · occasion · intention · litigation · terminus ad quem · origin · lawsuit · ambition · root · action · goal · success · principle · purpose · germ · suit · object · objective · aspiration · justification · purpose · aim · end · genesis · reason · grounds · cause · cause
Translations (169)
et põhjus (source or reason of an event or action) · scn causanza (source or reason of an event or action) · de Ursache (source or reason of an event or action) · de Anlass (source or reason of an event or action) · frr grünj (source or reason of an event or action) · sh ра́злог (source or reason of an event or action) · fr raison (source or reason of an event or action) · stq Uurseeke (source or reason of an event or action) · la causa (goal, aim, principle) · ja 原因 (source or reason of an event or action) · ajp سبب (source or reason of an event or action) · mt kaġun (source or reason of an event or action) · gd adhbhar (goal, aim, principle) · ur باعث (source or reason of an event or action) · nl reden (source or reason of an event or action) · el αιτία (source or reason of an event or action) · sip རྐྱེན (source or reason of an event or action) · ne गोल (goal, aim, principle) · sh прѝнцӣп (goal, aim, principle) · ba сәбәп (source or reason of an event or action) · sh rázlog (source or reason of an event or action) · th สาเหตุ (source or reason of an event or action) · fi lähde (source or reason of an event or action) · el λόγος (source or reason of an event or action) · ca causa (goal, aim, principle) · ga siocair (source or reason of an event or action) · vi nguyên nhân (source or reason of an event or action) · is málstaður (goal, aim, principle) · sa हेतु (source or reason of an event or action) · ett 𐌂𐌀𐌅𐌔𐌀 (source or reason of an event or action) · cs účel (goal, aim, principle) · kij uula (source or reason of an event or action) · bg по́вод (source or reason of an event or action) · sq arsye (source or reason of an event or action) · tl kawsa (source or reason of an event or action) · sh ства̑р (goal, aim, principle) · bg кауза (goal, aim, principle) · fr cause (source or reason of an event or action) · sh prìncīp (goal, aim, principle) · hi कारण (source or reason of an event or action) · ht lakòz (source or reason of an event or action) · lt pagrindas (source or reason of an event or action) · km ហេតុ (source or reason of an event or action) · af oorsaak (source or reason of an event or action) · sv grund (source or reason of an event or action) · ky шылтоо (source or reason of an event or action) · ru причи́на (source or reason of an event or action) · cs důvod (source or reason of an event or action) · ro cauză (source or reason of an event or action) · sl stvar (goal, aim, principle) · uk причи́на (source or reason of an event or action) · oc causa (source or reason of an event or action) · is orsök (source or reason of an event or action) · mhr амал (source or reason of an event or action) · id penyebab (source or reason of an event or action) · ka მიზეზი (source or reason of an event or action) · he מַטָּרָה (goal, aim, principle) · hu ok (source or reason of an event or action) · tg сабаб (source or reason of an event or action) · fi syy (source or reason of an event or action) · ur سبب (source or reason of an event or action) · ru основа́ние (source or reason of an event or action) · it causa (source or reason of an event or action) · sh свр̀ха (goal, aim, principle) · sl razlog (source or reason of an event or action) · sh svr̀ha (goal, aim, principle) · cs důvod (goal, aim, principle) · sc càusa (source or reason of an event or action) · pl przyczyna (source or reason of an event or action) · fi juuri (source or reason of an event or action) · ar قَضِيَّة (goal, aim, principle) · ga réasún (source or reason of an event or action) · el σκοπός (goal, aim, principle) · ota سبب (source or reason of an event or action) · gl causa (source or reason of an event or action) · ca causa (source or reason of an event or action) · ms pasal (source or reason of an event or action) · tr sebep (source or reason of an event or action) · mi whakataenga (source or reason of an event or action) · pt causa (source or reason of an event or action) · sh у̀зрок (source or reason of an event or action) · de Grund (source or reason of an event or action) · ko 원인 (source or reason of an event or action) · tr neden (source or reason of an event or action) · sga accuis (source or reason of an event or action) · cy achos (source or reason of an event or action) · ru де́ло (goal, aim, principle) · az səbəb (source or reason of an event or action) · eu kausa (source or reason of an event or action) · lv cēlonis (source or reason of an event or action) · sl vzrok (source or reason of an event or action) · da sag (goal, aim, principle) · es causa judicial (lawsuit) · nl oorzaak (source or reason of an event or action) · sh cȋlj (goal, aim, principle) · hi लक्ष्य (goal, aim, principle) · ru стремление (goal, aim, principle) · da årsag (source or reason of an event or action) · lv iemesls (source or reason of an event or action) · es causa (source or reason of an event or action) · nl doel (goal, aim, principle) · fi syy (goal, aim, principle) · cs cíl (goal, aim, principle) · ug سەۋەپ (source or reason of an event or action) · cs příčina (source or reason of an event or action) · la causa (source or reason of an event or action) · sk príčina (source or reason of an event or action) · et üritus (goal, aim, principle) · frr uursaage (source or reason of an event or action) · fi asia (goal, aim, principle) · es causa (goal, aim, principle) · et ajend (source or reason of an event or action) · et siht (goal, aim, principle) · bg причи́на (source or reason of an event or action) · uk спра́ва (goal, aim, principle) · stq Gruund (source or reason of an event or action) · lt priežastis (source or reason of an event or action) · no årsak (source or reason of an event or action) · fi tavoite (goal, aim, principle) · frr (Ockholm) uursååge (source or reason of an event or action) · bn কারণ (source or reason of an event or action) · eo kaŭzo (source or reason of an event or action) · frr uursaag (source or reason of an event or action) · ang intinga (source or reason of an event or action) · sh ци̑љ (goal, aim, principle) · it causa (goal, aim, principle) · fy oarsaak (source or reason of an event or action) · arz سبب (source or reason of an event or action) · uz sabab (source or reason of an event or action) · frr uursaage (source or reason of an event or action) · sq ngajë (source or reason of an event or action) · he סיבה \ סִבָּה (source or reason of an event or action) · az iş (goal, aim, principle) · de Sache (goal, aim, principle) · lb Ursaach (source or reason of an event or action) · pt causa (goal, aim, principle) · grc αἰτία (source or reason of an event or action) · cy achos (goal, aim, principle) · zza sebeb (source or reason of an event or action) · ro cauză (goal, aim, principle) · be прычы́на (source or reason of an event or action) · fi tarkoitus (goal, aim, principle) · gl causa (goal, aim, principle) · ota علت (source or reason of an event or action) · et eesmärk (goal, aim, principle) · no grunn (source or reason of an event or action) · ms sebab (source or reason of an event or action) · fa سبب (source or reason of an event or action) · ug خۇسۇس (source or reason of an event or action) · id kausa (source or reason of an event or action) · ka საფუძველი (source or reason of an event or action) · zu umsuka (source or reason of an event or action) · ur وجہ (source or reason of an event or action) · hy պատճառ (source or reason of an event or action) · sh stvȃr (goal, aim, principle) · az bais (source or reason of an event or action) · et alus (source or reason of an event or action) · la ratiō (source or reason of an event or action) · ja 大義 (goal, aim, principle) · cmn 原因 (source or reason of an event or action) · ceb kawsa (source or reason of an event or action) · sh ùzrok (source or reason of an event or action) · ar سَبَب (source or reason of an event or action) · frr (Langenhorn) uursaage (source or reason of an event or action) · nl aanleiding (source or reason of an event or action) · fr cause (goal, aim, principle) · sv orsak (source or reason of an event or action) · mk при́чина (source or reason of an event or action) · gd adhbhar (source or reason of an event or action)