cause
6 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
causes
plural
causes
Britannica Dictionary definition of CAUSE
1
[count]
:
something or someone that produces an effect, result, or condition
:
something or someone that makes something happen or exist
— often + of
-
His symptoms had no apparent physical causes.
-
She is the cause of all their problems.
-
He died of/from natural causes. [=he died because of old age or an illness]
-
The doctor determined the cause of death.
-
The exact cause of the accident/fire is not known.
2
:
a reason for doing or feeling something
— often + for
—
see also probable cause
[noncount]
-
The medicine was prescribed without good cause.
-
There is some cause for concern. [=some reason to be concerned/worried]
[singular]
-
Their marriage was a cause for celebration.
3
[count]
:
something (such as an organization, belief, idea, or goal) that a group or people support or fight for
-
I can support a cause that means something to me.
-
I'm willing to donate money as long as it's for a good/worthy cause.
lost cause
:
a person or thing that is certain to fail
-
She decided her acting career was a lost cause.
-
I'm a lost cause when it comes to anything technical.
make/find common cause
formal
:
to join together with someone in order to achieve a shared goal
-
He has made common cause with political rivals to defeat the proposed new law.
2
cause
/ˈkɑːz/
verb
causes;
caused;
causing
2
cause
/ˈkɑːz/
verb
causes;
caused;
causing
Britannica Dictionary definition of CAUSE
[+ object]
1
:
to make (something) happen or exist
:
to be the cause of (something)
-
He swerved and caused an accident.
-
The flood caused great hardship.
-
The illness is caused by a virus.
2
:
to make (someone) feel, have, or do something
— often followed by to + verb
-
The flood caused the town great hardship.
-
You caused us a lot of extra work.
-
His boss caused him to resign. [=his boss made him resign]
-
His nervous behavior caused me to question his innocence.
