Meanings
cause1
plural causes
- countableoftenwith oftypically of adverse resultsThe 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.
2 more examples
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 1He 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 - especiallyuncountableSufficient reason.
He has no cause to do that.
2 more examples
There is no cause for alarm.
The end of the war was a cause for celebration.
Synonyms: grounds, justification, occasion
- countableA goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.
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]4 more examples
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, […], →OCLCI'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)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"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 341Synonyms: objective, purpose, aim, ambition, aspiration, end, terminus ad quem, goal
- countableobsoleteAny 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] - countablelawA 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.
Synonyms: litigation, action, lawsuit, litigation, suit
present singular third person causes · participle present causing · participle past caused · past caused · first person past singular caused · archaic present second person singular causest · past second person singular caused · archaic past second person singular causedst · present singular third person causes · archaic present singular third person causeth · past singular third person caused · past plural caused · past subjunctive caused · participle present causing · participle past caused
- transitiveTo set off an event or action; to bring about; to produce.
The lightning caused thunder.
2 more examples
Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes.[…]She put back a truant curl from her forehead where it had sought egress to the world, and looked him full in the face now, drawing a deep breath which caused the round of her bosom to lift the lace at her throat.
1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLCAn artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic[…]real kidneys[…]. But they are nothing like as efficient, and can cause bleeding, clotting and infection—not to mention inconvenience for patients, who typically need to be hooked up to one three times a week for hours at a time.
2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly) - ditransitiveTo actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority.
His dogged determination caused the fundraising to be successful.
2 more examples
I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 7:4And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness caused more harm than good.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC - obsoleteTo assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse.
He, to shifte their curious request, / Gan causen why she could not come in place.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
cause2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.
nounSufficient reason.
nounA goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.
nounA 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.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
nounany entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results
nouna comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latincausāre
- Old Frenchcauser
- Middle Englishcausen
- Proto-Italic*kaussā
- Latincausa“reason, sake, cause”
- Old Frenchcause“a cause, a thing”
- Middle Englishcause
- Englishcause
* 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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans oorsaak, veroorsaak
- oorsaaksource or reason of an event or action
- veroorsaakto set off an event or action
- veroorsaakto produce as a result
Ancient Greek αἰτία
- αἰτία (aitía)source or reason of an event or action
Arabic قَضِيَّة, سَبَب
- قَضِيَّة (qaḍiyya)goal, aim, principle
- سَبَب (sabab)source or reason of an event or action
- سَبَّبَ (sabbaba)to set off an event or action
Basque kausa
- kausasource or reason of an event or action
Bengali কারণ, ঘটানো
- কারণ (karon)source or reason of an event or action
- ঘটানো (ghoṭanō)to set off an event or action
Bulgarian кауза, причи́на
- кауза (kauza)goal, aim, principle
- причи́на (pričína)source or reason of an event or action
- по́вод (póvod)source or reason of an event or action
- причинявам (pričinjavam)to set off an event or action
- предизвиквам (predizvikvam)to produce as a result
Catalan causa, causa
- causagoal, aim, principle
- causasource or reason of an event or action
- causarto set off an event or action
Chinese Mandarin 原因
- 原因 (yuányīn)source or reason of an event or action
Czech účel, důvod
- účelgoal, aim, principle
- důvodgoal, aim, principle
- cílgoal, aim, principle
- příčinasource or reason of an event or action
- důvodsource or reason of an event or action
- způsobitto set off an event or action
- zapříčinitto set off an event or action
- způsobovatto set off an event or action
- zapříčinovatto set off an event or action
Danish sag, årsag
- saggoal, aim, principle
- årsagsource or reason of an event or action
- forårsageto set off an event or action
- gørto produce as a result
- resultere ito produce as a result
Dutch doel, oorzaak
- doelgoal, aim, principle
- oorzaaksource or reason of an event or action
- redensource or reason of an event or action
- aanleidingsource or reason of an event or action
- veroorzakento set off an event or action
- veroorzakento produce as a result
Esperanto kaŭzo, kaŭzi
- kaŭzosource or reason of an event or action
- kaŭzito set off an event or action
Estonian eesmärk, siht
- eesmärkgoal, aim, principle
- sihtgoal, aim, principle
- üritusgoal, aim, principle
- alussource or reason of an event or action
- ajendsource or reason of an event or action
- põhjussource or reason of an event or action
- põhjustamato set off an event or action
- tekitamato set off an event or action
Finnish syy, tarkoitus
- syygoal, aim, principle
- tarkoitusgoal, aim, principle
- asiagoal, aim, principle
- tavoitegoal, aim, principle
- syysource or reason of an event or action
- juurisource or reason of an event or action
- lähdesource or reason of an event or action
- aiheuttaato set off an event or action
- saada aikaanto set off an event or action
- johtaato produce as a result
- saadato produce as a result
- aiheuttaato produce as a result
French cause, cause
- causegoal, aim, principle
- causesource or reason of an event or action
- raisonsource or reason of an event or action
- causerto set off an event or action
German Sache, Ursache
- Sachegoal, aim, principle
- Ursachesource or reason of an event or action
- Anlasssource or reason of an event or action
- Grundsource or reason of an event or action
- verursachento set off an event or action
- auslösento set off an event or action
- lassento produce as a result
Greek σκοπός, αιτία
- σκοπός (skopós)goal, aim, principle
- αιτία (aitía)source or reason of an event or action
- λόγος (lógos)source or reason of an event or action
- προκαλώ (prokaló)to set off an event or action
Hebrew מַטָּרָה, סיבה \ סִבָּה
- מַטָּרָה (matará)goal, aim, principle
- סיבה \ סִבָּה (sibá)source or reason of an event or action
- גרם (garám)to set off an event or action
Hindi लक्ष्य, कारण
- लक्ष्य (lakṣya)goal, aim, principle
- कारण (kāraṇ)source or reason of an event or action
Hungarian ok, okoz
- oksource or reason of an event or action
- okozto set off an event or action
- előidézto set off an event or action
- kiváltto set off an event or action
Icelandic málstaður, orsök
- málstaðurgoal, aim, principle
- orsöksource or reason of an event or action
- valdato set off an event or action
Indonesian kausa, penyebab
- kausasource or reason of an event or action
- penyebabsource or reason of an event or action
- menyebabkanto set off an event or action
- menyebabkanto produce as a result
Irish réasún, siocair
- réasúnsource or reason of an event or action
- siocairsource or reason of an event or action
Italian causa, causa
- causagoal, aim, principle
- causasource or reason of an event or action
- provocareto set off an event or action
- causareto set off an event or action
- produrreto produce as a result
- ottenereto produce as a result
Japanese 大義, 原因
- 大義 (taigi)goal, aim, principle
- 原因 (gen'in)source or reason of an event or action
- 原因となる (gen'in to naru)to set off an event or action
- 引き起こす (hikiokosu)to set off an event or action
Korean 원인, 일으키다
- 원인 (wonin)source or reason of an event or action
- 일으키다 (ireukida)to set off an event or action
Latin causa, causa
- causagoal, aim, principle
- causasource or reason of an event or action
- ratiōsource or reason of an event or action
- efficiōto set off an event or action
- creōto produce as a result
- efficiōto produce as a result
Latvian iemesls, cēlonis
- iemeslssource or reason of an event or action
- cēlonissource or reason of an event or action
Lithuanian priežastis, pagrindas
- priežastissource or reason of an event or action
- pagrindassource or reason of an event or action
- sukeltito set off an event or action
Malay sebab, pasal
- sebabsource or reason of an event or action
- pasalsource or reason of an event or action
Māori whakataenga, whakatae
- whakataengasource or reason of an event or action
- whakataeto set off an event or action
Norwegian årsak, grunn
- årsaksource or reason of an event or action
- grunnsource or reason of an event or action
Norwegian Bokmål forårsake
- forårsaketo set off an event or action
Persian سبب, باعث شدن
- سبب (sabab)source or reason of an event or action
- باعث شدن (bâ'es šodan)to set off an event or action
Polish przyczyna, powodować
- przyczynasource or reason of an event or action
- powodowaćto set off an event or action
- spowodowaćto set off an event or action
Portuguese causa, causa
- causagoal, aim, principle
- causasource or reason of an event or action
- causarto set off an event or action
- causarto produce as a result
- fazerto produce as a result
Romanian cauză, cauză
- cauzăgoal, aim, principle
- cauzăsource or reason of an event or action
- cauzato set off an event or action
- pricinuito set off an event or action
Russian де́ло, стремление
- де́ло (délo)goal, aim, principle
- стремление (stremlenije)goal, aim, principle
- причи́на (pričína)source or reason of an event or action
- основа́ние (osnovánije)source or reason of an event or action
- причиня́ть (pričinjátʹ)to set off an event or action
- производи́ть (proizvodítʹ)to set off an event or action
- заставля́ть (zastavljátʹ)to set off an event or action
- вызыва́ть (vyzyvátʹ)to set off an event or action
Scottish Gaelic adhbhar, adhbhar
- adhbhargoal, aim, principle
- adhbharsource or reason of an event or action
- adhbharaichto set off an event or action
- adhbharaichto produce as a result
Slovak príčina
- príčinasource or reason of an event or action
Spanish causa, causa judicial
- causagoal, aim, principle
- causa judiciallawsuit
- causasource or reason of an event or action
- causarto set off an event or action
Swedish orsak, grund
- orsaksource or reason of an event or action
- grundsource or reason of an event or action
- orsakato set off an event or action
- förorsakato set off an event or action
Tagalog kawsa
- kawsasource or reason of an event or action
Tamil ஏற்படுத்து
- ஏற்படுத்து (ēṟpaṭuttu)to set off an event or action
Thai สาเหตุ, ทำให้
- สาเหตุ (sǎa-hèet)source or reason of an event or action
- ทำให้ (tam-hâi)to set off an event or action
- ทำให้ (tam-hâi)to produce as a result
Turkish sebep, neden
- sebepsource or reason of an event or action
- nedensource or reason of an event or action
- uğratmakto set off an event or action
- sebep olmakto set off an event or action
- yol açmakto set off an event or action
Ukrainian спра́ва, причи́на
- спра́ва (správa)goal, aim, principle
- причи́на (pryčýna)source or reason of an event or action
- спричиня́ти (spryčynjáty)to set off an event or action
- спричи́нювати (spryčýnjuvaty)to set off an event or action
- спричини́ти (spryčynýty)to set off an event or action
- виклика́ти (vyklykáty)to set off an event or action
- ви́кликати (výklykaty)to set off an event or action
Urdu وجہ, سبب
- وجہ (waja)source or reason of an event or action
- سبب (sabab)source or reason of an event or action
- باعث (bāis)source or reason of an event or action
Vietnamese nguyên nhân, gây
- nguyên nhânsource or reason of an event or action
- gâyto set off an event or action
Welsh achos, achos
- achosgoal, aim, principle
- achossource or reason of an event or action
- achosito set off an event or action
- perito set off an event or action
- achosito produce as a result
Zulu umsuka
- umsukasource or reason of an event or action
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cause
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
cause. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cause
“cause.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cause. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cause,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cause.
Source: cause on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.