cause

cause
cause1 W1S2 [ko:z US ko:z] n
[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: Latin causa]
1.)
a person, event, or thing that makes something happen
→↑effect cause of
▪ Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for American women in their forties.
establish/investigate/discover etc the cause
▪ It's our job to establish the cause of the fire.
root/underlying etc cause
▪ The cost of the project was enormous, but it was not the fundamental cause of its failure.
cause and effect
(=the idea that one thing directly causes another)
die of/from natural causes
(=because of old age or an illness, not an accident, murder etc)
2.) [U]
a fact that makes it right or reasonable for you to feel or behave in a particular way
= ↑reason cause for
▪ There is no cause for alarm .
▪ The patient's condition is giving cause for concern .
▪ The present political climate gives little cause for optimism .
have (good) cause to do sth
▪ His father has good cause to be proud of him.
with/without good cause
▪ Many people are worried about the economy, and with good cause.
3.)
an organization, belief, or aim that a group of people support or fight for
cause of
▪ her lifelong devotion to the cause of women's rights
Nationalist/Republican etc cause
champion/further a cause
▪ Since founding Island Records, Blackwell has championed the cause of Jamaican music.
worthy/good cause
(=an organization that helps people who are ill, old etc, especially a ↑charity)
▪ You can get fit, and at the same time raise money for a worthy cause .
▪ Please give generously, it's all in a good cause (=done in order to help people) .
4.) have/make common cause (with/against sb)
formal to join with other people or groups in order to oppose an enemy
▪ U.S. officials expect other Western governments to make common cause with them over the arrests.
5.) law
a case that is brought to a court of law
→lost cause at ↑lost2 (12)
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WORD CHOICE: cause, reason
A cause is something such as an action, event, or situation that makes something happen : The cause of the accident is not known. |a determination to tackle the causes of crime
A reason is an explanation for something : Can you think of any reason why he would behave in this way? | There is a good reason (NOT a good cause) for my decision.
GRAMMAR
Use the cause of , not 'cause for' or 'cause why' : What is the cause of all this unrest?
!! cause for is used in some expressions such as cause for alarm/concern/complaint/optimism/satisfaction : There is no cause for concern. | His remarks give some cause for hope.
Use cause somebody to do something , not 'cause that somebody does something' : A cat ran into the road, causing her to brake suddenly (NOT causing that she braked suddenly).
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cause 2
cause2 W1S1 v [T]
to make something happen, especially something bad
▪ Heavy traffic is causing delays on the freeway.
▪ The fire caused £15,000 worth of damage.
cause sth for sb
▪ The oil spill is causing problems for coastal fisheries.
cause concern/uncertainty/embarrassment etc
▪ The policy changes have caused great uncertainty for the workforce.
▪ I'm sorry if I caused any confusion .
cause sb trouble/problems etc
▪ You've caused us all a lot of unnecessary worry.
▪ Sorry, I didn't mean to cause offence (=offend you) .
cause sb/sth to do sth
▪ What caused you to change your mind?

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • cause — 1 n 1: something that brings about an effect or result the negligent act which was the cause of the plaintiff s injury ◇ The cause of an injury must be proven in both tort and criminal cases. actual cause: cause in fact in this entry but–for… …   Law dictionary

  • cause — [ koz ] n. f. • XIIe; lat. causa « cause » et « procès » → chose I ♦ Ce qui produit un effet (considéré par rapport à cet effet). 1 ♦ (1170) Ce par quoi un événement, une action humaine arrive, se fait. ⇒ origine; motif, objet, raison, 3. sujet.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Cause — • Cause, as the correlative of effect, is understood as being that which in any way gives existence to, or contributes towards the existence of, any thing; which produces a result; to which the origin of any thing is to be ascribed Catholic… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • cause — CAUSE. s. f. Principe, ce qui fait qu une chose est. Dieu est la première de toutes les causes, la cause des causes, la souveraine cause, la cause universelle. On appelle Dieu, absolument et par excellence, Cause première, comme on appelle les… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • cause — Cause, qui fait faire quelque chose, Causa. La meilleure cause et la pire, Superior causa et inferior. B. ex Cicerone. Les causes durent tousjours et perseverent, Manent causae. Tu as ouy les causes de mon conseil, Audisti consilij mei motus. Par …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • cause — CAUSE. s. f. Principe, ce qui fait qu une chose est. Dieu est la premiere de toutes les causes, la cause des causes, la souveraine cause. On appelle Dieu absolument & par excellence, Cause premiere; comme on appelle les creatures Causes secondes …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Cause — (k[add]z), n. [F. cause, fr. L. causa. Cf. {Cause}, v., {Kickshaw}.] 1. That which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist. [1913 Webster] Cause is substance exerting its power into… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cause — cause, causal explanation In non specialist contexts, to ask for the cause of some particular happening is to ask what made it happen, or brought it about. To give a causal explanation is to answer such questions, usually by specifying some prior …   Dictionary of sociology

  • cause — n 1 Cause, determinant, antecedent, reason, occasion are comparable when denoting what in whole or in part produces an effect or result. Cause is applicable to an agent (as a circumstance, condition, event, or force) that contributes to the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • cause — [kôz] n. [ME < OFr < L causa, a cause, reason, judicial process, lawsuit: infl. (in CAUSE senses 4 & 5) by CASE1] 1. anything producing an effect or result 2. a person or thing acting voluntarily or involuntarily as the agent that brings… …   English World dictionary

  • causé — causé, ée (kô zé, zée) part. passé. 1°   Produit par une cause. •   Toutes choses étant causées ou causantes, PASC. dans COUSIN. 2°   Occasionné. Un incendie causé par un accident. 3°   Motivé. •   M. de Bouillon voulait une absence, et une… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

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