Etymology : Middle English, from Old French, from Latin causa
Pronunciation : koz
Function : noun
Date : 13th century
1. factor, reason; principle, purpose; basis for a legal case. make happen, bring about. because. cause\cause\ (k&add;z), n. [f. cause, fr. l. causa. cf. cause, v., kickshaw.].
2. that which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist. cause is substance exerting its power into act, to make one thing begin to be.
3. that which is the occasion of an action or state; ground; reason; motive; as, cause for rejoicing.
4. sake; interest; advantage. [obs.] i did it not for his cause. vii.
5. 4. (law) 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.
6. any subject of discussion or debate; matter; question; affair in general. what counsel give you in this weighty cause!.
7. the side of a question, which is espoused, advocated, and upheld by a person or party; a principle which is advocated; that which a person or party seeks to attain. god befriend us, as our cause is just. the part they take against me is from zeal to the cause.
8. That which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist.
9. That which is the occasion of an action or state; ground; reason; motive; as, cause for rejoicing.
10. Sake; interest; advantage.
11. 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.
12. Any subject of discussion or debate; matter; question; affair in general.
13. The side of a question, which is espoused, advocated, and upheld by a person or party; a principle which is advocated; that which a person or party seeks to attain.
14. To effect as an agent; to produce; to be the occasion of; to bring about; to bring into existence; to make; usually followed by an infinitive, sometimes by that with a finite verb.
15. To assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse.
16. Abbreviation of Because. a justification for something existing or happening; "he had no cause to complain"; "they had good reason to rejoice" events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something; "they are trying to determine the cause of the crash" give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally; "cause a commotion"; "make a stir"; "cause an accident".
17. 1. The cause of an event, usually a bad event, is the thing that makes it happen. Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of death and disease The causes are a complex blend of local and national tensions. ¡Ù effect.
18. To cause something, usually something bad, means to make it happen. Attempts to limit family size among some minorities are likely to cause problems This was a genuine mistake, but it did cause me some worry. a protein that gets into animal cells and attacks other proteins, causing disease to spread. the damage to Romanian democracy caused by events of the past few days.
19. If you have cause for a particular feeling or action, you have good reasons for feeling it or doing it. Only a few people can find any cause for celebration Both had much cause to be grateful for the secretiveness of government in Britain. = reason.
20. A cause is an aim or principle which a group of people supports or is fighting for. Refusing to have one leader has not helped the cause. see also:
lost cause.
21. You use cause and effect to talk about the way in which one thing is caused by another. fundamental laws of biological cause and effect.
22. If you say that something is in a good cause or for a good cause, you mean that it is worth doing or giving to because it will help other people, for example by raising money for charity. The Raleigh International Bike Ride is open to anyone who wants to raise money for a good cause. W1S1 to make something happen, especially something bad.