The meaning of the word cause

Maybe I could be a singer, cause I didn’t really start singing until I was pretty old, ‘cause I didn’t have no apparent talent for it. ❋ Unknown (2010)

(Soundbite of song, «You’re A Rich Girl») HALL & OATES (Musicians, Singer-songwriters): (Singing) … never be strong cause, you’re a rich girl, rich girl, and you’ve gone too far ‘cause you know it don’t matter anyway, rich girl. ❋ Unknown (2010)

I say that cause that’s how I’m going to move on and keep going and ‘cause in a lot of ways it is fine. ❋ Megan Aka Mmapula Reamogetse (2009)

Maybe I’m nuts, maybe it’s cause I’m an island boy through and through, or maybe the astrologists have something after all, and it’s ‘cause I’m a water sign, but whatever it is, days like this feel a lot more like vacation than the sunny ones for me. ❋ Justnick (2009)

Why’d you gots to cause wank just ‘cause there isn’t any, huh? ❋ Matgb (2008)

Although Aristotle is careful to distinguish four different kinds of cause (or four different senses of ˜cause™), it is important to note that he claims that one and the same thing can be a cause in more than one sense. ❋ Cohen, S. Marc (2008)

Stopped reading at that point – ‘cause if WAG can’t get it by now God help Wales ‘cause WAG is not helping. ❋ Unknown (2008)

I figured it’s cause they forgot to eat and because they’re keyed up and nervous — not necessarily ‘cause they’re thinking. ❋ Ann Althouse (2007)

Did Simon actually make a «we have a right ‘cause we’re right» argument, much less a «‘cause-we-can» definition of power argument? ❋ Ann Althouse (2007)

So, yeah, penalties can be engaging things, but that sounds to me like a slippery-slope: Too many of those won’t cause me to bond with the community, ‘cause I won’t even be playing that game. ❋ Unknown (2004)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the line’s not congested, then I just look if I can congest it, cause then it’s worth — ‘cause those are going to be your shoulder hours anyway, and that’s when replacement is super cheap, right? ❋ Unknown (2004)

He’d let her wander around ‘cause he knew she wouldn’t cause any trouble. ❋ Deaver, Jeffery (1995)

No, ‘cause most of the women I knowed — just a few blacks died but I don’t know the cause of their death. ❋ Unknown (1979)

Furthermore we have to say here also that condition and prerequisite are not identical with cause, and it is precisely the _cause_ of moral responsibility and of the origin of such morally responsible beings, which has not yet been discovered by the Darwinian theory. ❋ Rudolf Schmid (N/A)

If, as has been heretofore shown, Slavery is the great enemy of the Union, and was the sole cause of the rebellion, why not extirpate the _cause_ of the war? ❋ Various (N/A)

To transfer this thought to even the largest element in war, it will be seen that _it is not primarily a cause which makes men loyal to each other, but the loyalty of men to each other which makes a cause_. ❋ United States. Dept. Of Defense (N/A)

America, that «to a large extent the present system of educating girls is the cause of their pallor and weakness,» or that «woman’s neglect of her own organization, though not the sole explanation and cause of her many weaknesses, _more than any single cause_, adds to their number and intensifies their power?» ❋ Anna Callender Brackett (N/A)

Person one «why [did you] do that?»
Person [two] «[just cause]» ❋ Hookahhunny (2008)

[I did it] ‘cause I [felt] like doing it. ❋ Moriarty (2003)

he’ll [yell] at me ‘cause i wasn’t there. ❋ Gothicvamppunk (2005)

[I’m all] out of dope. I need more paper to [re up].
I have [eighty] for the cause. ❋ Krazykat1416 (2019)

[What you doing] tonight [mate]?
[Going out] to cause it. ❋ TheBald (2011)

Guy1 *throws [plasma grenade] on themselves, running into a group of enemies* [FOR THE CAUSE]
Guy 2″Dude why’d you do that?»
Guy 1 «Dude i dont know, i was for the causing it»
or
GUy 1 «Dude that test was totally not [for the cause], it ranked of uncausefullness.»
Guy 2 «Dude thats on the real tip» ❋ The Cause (2007)

cause it’s [free money]cause it’s means: because it is
why are your hands [sweaty]cause it’s my gamer [lubricant]
ok ❋ Heheman12 (2021)

[he left] ‘[cause] I told him to [bug off] ❋ RealStorm (2018)

[The cause] is [people] ❋ … Zjdbckdnznsjd (2019)

I saw those guy were [fighting] at [the square].They always [cause a scene]. ❋ BlackPohatu (2016)

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

• From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga.
• From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kôz, IPA^(key): /kɔːz/, [kʰoːz̥]
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɔz/, [kʰɒːz̥]
• (Canada, cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑz/
• Rhymes: -ɔːz
• Homophones: caws, ’cause; cores (non-rhotic dialects)

Noun[edit]

cause (countable and uncountable, plural causes)

1. (countable, often with of, typically of adverse results) The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:cause

   They identified a burst pipe as the cause of the flooding.

   • 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:

     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.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     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.

2. (uncountable, especially with for and a bare noun) Sufficient reason for a state, as of emotion.

   Synonyms: grounds, justification

   There is no cause for alarm.

   The end of the war was a cause for celebration.

4. (countable) A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:goal

   • 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]:

     God befriend us, as our cause is just.

   • 1796, Edmund Burke, A Letter from the Right Honourable Edmund Burke to a Noble Lord, on the Attacks Made upon Him and His Pension, […], 10th edition, London: […] J. Owen, […], and F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC:

     The part they take against me is from zeal to the cause.

   • 1999, McCain, John, Faith of My Fathers‎^[1], New York: Random House, →ISBN, page 348:

     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.

   • 2008, Karpyshyn, Drew, “Epilogue”, in Mass Effect: Ascension‎^[2], Del Rey Books, →ISBN, page 341:

     «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.”

5. (obsolete) Sake; interest; advantage.
6. (countable, obsolete) Any subject of discussion or debate; a matter; an affair.

   • 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]:

     What counsel give you in this weighty cause?

7. (countable, 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.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

• effect

Verb[edit]

cause (third-person singular simple present causes, present participle causing, simple past and past participle caused)

1. (transitive) To set off an event or action.

   The lightning caused thunder.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     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.

   • 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist‎^[3], volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):

     An 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.

2. (ditransitive) To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority.

   His dogged determination caused the fundraising to be successful.

   • I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     And 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.

3. (obsolete) To assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse.

Derived terms[edit]

• causation
• cause a stir
• causer

Translations[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

cause

1. Alternative form of ’cause; because

See also[edit]

• cause célèbre

Further reading[edit]

• cause at OneLook Dictionary Search
• cause in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “cause”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams[edit]

• -sauce, Eacus, sauce

Asturian[edit]

Verb[edit]

cause

1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive of causar

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /koz/
• Homophones: causent, causes

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old French cause, borrowed from Classical Latin causa. Compare chose, an inherited doublet.

Noun[edit]

cause f (plural causes)

1. cause

   Antonym: conséquence

2. (law) case (a legal proceeding)

Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb[edit]

cause

1. inflection of causer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading[edit]

• “cause”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams[edit]

• sauce, sceau

Italian[edit]

Noun[edit]

cause f pl

1. plural of causa

Anagrams[edit]

• ucase

Middle English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Old French cause.

Noun[edit]

cause (plural causes)

1. cause
   • 14^th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue

     He knew the cause of everich maladye

     He knew the cause of every illness

Descendants[edit]

• English: cause

Norman[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French cause, borrowed from Latin causa.

Noun[edit]

cause f (plural causes)

1. (Jersey, law) case

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin causa, whence the inherited chose.

Noun[edit]

cause f (oblique plural causes, nominative singular cause, nominative plural causes)

1. cause

   • 1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine), page 142 of this essay:

     On doit avoir plusieurs entencions, car en curant, on doit bien considerer la cause et la nature de la maladie

     One must have several intentions, because in treating, one must consider the cause and the nature of the disease

Descendants[edit]

• Middle English: cause
  • English: cause
• Middle French: cause
  • French: cause
• Norman: cause

Portuguese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -awzi, (Portugal) -awzɨ
• Hyphenation: cau‧se

Verb[edit]

cause

1. inflection of causar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkause/ [ˈkau̯.se]
• Rhymes: -ause
• Syllabification: cau‧se

Verb[edit]

cause

1. inflection of causar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

• Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

‘cause‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

• Defenition of the word cause

  • That which brings about any condition or produces any effect.
  • To be the cause of.
  • Any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results.
  • A justification for something existing or happening.
  • A series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end.
  • A comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy.
  • To make something happen.
  • a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; «he supported populist campaigns»; «they worked in the cause of world peace»; «the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant»; «the movement to end slavery»; «contributed to the war effort»
  • any entity that causes events to happen
  • 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»
  • a justification for something existing or happening; «he had no cause to complain»; «they had good reason to rejoice»
  • cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner: «The ads induced me to buy a VCR»; «My children finally got me to buy a computer»; «My wife made me buy a new sofa»
  • (law) a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy; «the family brought suit against the landlord»
  • a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; «he supported populist campaigns»; «they worked in the cause of world peace»; «the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant»; «the movement to end slavery»; «contributed to
  • a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy; «the family brought suit against the landlord»
  • cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; «The ads induced me to buy a VCR»; «My children finally got me to buy a computer»; «My wife made me buy a new sofa»
  • any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results
  • a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
  • a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
  • a justification for something existing or happening
  • events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
  • cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner
  • give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

Synonyms for the word cause

• • affect
  • basis
  • begin
  • bring about
  • campaign
  • case
  • causa
  • causal agency
  • causal agent
  • crusade
  • do
  • drive
  • effort
  • foundation
  • get
  • grounds
  • have
  • induce
  • initiate
  • instigate
  • lawsuit
  • make
  • make happen
  • movement
  • origin
  • produce
  • reason
  • root
  • set off
  • source
  • stimulate
  • suit
  • trigger

Similar words in the cause

• • cause
  • cause’s
  • caused
  • causeless
  • causes
  • causeway
  • causeway’s
  • causeways

Hyponyms for the word cause

• • actuate
  • ad blitz
  • ad campaign
  • advertising campaign
  • aetiology
  • agent
  • antecedent
  • anti-war movement
  • bastardy proceeding
  • breed
  • bring
  • bring about
  • call forth
  • campaigning
  • candidacy
  • candidature
  • catalyst
  • cause of death
  • charm campaign
  • civil suit
  • class action
  • class-action suit
  • compel
  • consumerism
  • countersuit
  • criminal suit
  • danger
  • decide
  • Destiny
  • determine
  • deus ex machina
  • ecumenical movement
  • effect
  • effectuate
  • electioneering
  • encourage
  • engender
  • engine
  • etiology
  • evoke
  • facilitate
  • factor
  • Fate
  • feminism
  • feminist movement
  • first cause
  • force
  • fund-raising campaign
  • fund-raising drive
  • fund-raising effort
  • gay lib
  • gay liberation movement
  • human
  • impel
  • incite
  • individual
  • influence
  • initiate
  • inspire
  • instigate
  • kick up
  • killer
  • lead
  • let
  • life principle
  • lost cause
  • make
  • manipulator
  • mold
  • moot
  • mortal
  • motivate
  • move
  • mutagenesis
  • nature
  • obligate
  • oblige
  • occasion
  • occult
  • operator
  • paternity suit
  • person
  • persuade
  • pioneer
  • political campaign
  • power
  • prime mover
  • primum mobile
  • producer
  • prompt
  • propel
  • provoke
  • reform
  • regulate
  • set up
  • shape
  • solicit
  • somebody
  • someone
  • soul
  • spawn
  • suborn
  • supernatural
  • theurgy
  • vital principle
  • war
  • women’s lib
  • women’s liberation movement
  • youth crusade
  • youth movement

Hypernyms for the word cause

• • create
  • entity
  • genesis
  • inception
  • judicial proceeding
  • justification
  • legal proceeding
  • make
  • origin
  • origination
  • physical entity
  • proceeding
  • proceedings
  • something
  • venture

See other words

• • What is cocotte
  • The definition of derme
  • The interpretation of the word cochonnet
  • What is meant by cochon
  • The lexical meaning cataphile
  • The dictionary meaning of the word coche
  • The grammatical meaning of the word coccinelle
  • Meaning of the word cobra
  • Literal and figurative meaning of the word demoiselle
  • The origin of the word efeo
  • Synonym for the word causeuse
  • Antonyms for the word efface
  • Homonyms for the word dette
  • Hyponyms for the word caution
  • Holonyms for the word deuil
  • Hypernyms for the word devenir
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word effendi
  • Translation of the word in other languages devin

1. [kɔ:z]

1. причина, основание

cause and effect — причина и следствие

root causes — коренные причины

first cause of all causes — причина всех причин

cause of death — причина смерти

the causes of war — причины войны

to stay away from school without good cause — пропускать занятия без уважительных причин

he is the cause of all our troubles — все наши беды от него, он является причиной всех бед

there is no cause for anxiety [for despair] — нет оснований для тревоги [для отчаяния]

just cause — убедительный мотив; полное основание, полное право

a cause of action — повод к действиям [ тж. 4, 2)]

without cause — без (всякого) повода, без оснований, без (уважительных) причин; беспричинно

cause for divorce — основание для развода; мотивы, по которым брак должен быть расторгнут

cause for rejoicing — повод для торжества

3. дело; общее дело

the cause of peace — дело мира

the cause of the workers — дело рабочего класса

to make common cause with smb. — объединяться с кем-л. ради общего дела

in the cause of science — ради /во имя, в интересах/ науки

he died for the Cause — он погиб за общее /за наше/ дело

good cause — правое /доброе, хорошее, справедливое/ дело

to work in a good cause — бороться за правое дело

lost cause — безнадёжное /проигранное/ дело

to fight in the cause of justice — бороться за справедливость

to fight in the cause of the oppressed — бороться на стороне угнетённых

no one should be judge in his own cause — никто не может быть судьёй в своём собственном деле

1) судебное дело, процесс

to plead a cause — вести процесс, защищать дело в суде

to gain one’s cause — выиграть процесс

2) мотивы соображения, высказываемые стороной ()

to show cause — привести основания /соображения/; представить доводы

cause of action — основание для предъявления иска [ тж. 2]

2. [kɔ:z]

1. быть причиной, служить поводом; вызывать; причинять

what caused his death? — от чего он умер?, что было причиной его смерти?

what causes the tides? — почему бывают приливы?

2. заставлять; побуждать; добиваться

he caused me to go — он заставил меня уйти

it caused my going — я ушёл из-за этого

the King caused him to be put to death — он был казнён по приказу короля

to cause smb. to be informed — поставить кого-л. в известность

he caused the letter to be sent — письмо было отправлено по его приказанию

we caused the roof to be mended — нам починили крышу; мы починили крышу

причина, дело, повод, основание, процесс, вызывать, причинять, быть причиной

существительное ↓

глагол ↓

Словосочетания

Примеры с переводом

Возможные однокоренные слова

causal  — причинный, каузальный
causeless  — беспричинный, необоснованный
causer  — виновник
causey  — мостовая, тротуар, мощеная дорожка, гать, мостить, строить дамбу, строить плотину
caused  — вызванный, обусловленный
causing  — вызывающий что-л.

Формы слова

verb
I/you/we/they: cause
he/she/it: causes
ing ф. (present participle): causing
2-я ф. (past tense): caused
3-я ф. (past participle): caused

noun
ед. ч.(singular): cause
мн. ч.(plural): causes

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At a time when 2500 American soldiers have given their lives for the cause of bringing democracy to Iraq, it is sad and frustrating to watch the Republican establishment disgrace the exercise of democracy in our own House of Representatives.

Earl Blumenauer

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CAUSE

From Latin causa cause, reason, motive.

PRONUNCIATION OF CAUSE

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CAUSE

Cause is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES CAUSE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of cause in the English dictionary

The first definition of cause in the dictionary is a person, thing, event, state, or action that produces an effect. Other definition of cause is grounds for action; motive; justification. Cause is also the ideals, etc, of a group or movement.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO CAUSE

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CAUSE

SYNONYMS OF «CAUSE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «cause» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF CAUSE

Find out the translation of cause to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CAUSE»

The term «cause» is very widely used and occupies the 2.044 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of cause

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CAUSE» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «CAUSE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word cause.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CAUSE»

Discover the use of cause in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to cause and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CAUSE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term cause is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Cause [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/cause>. Apr 2023 ».