cause

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

I

n. source (See cause); subject, basis; case; doctrine, view. See thought, belief.

II

That which produces an effect

Nouns

1. cause, origin, source, wellspring, principle, element; leaven; groundwork, base, basis, foundation (See beginning); pivot, hinge, key; straw that breaks the camel's back. Informal, trigger, gremlin.

2. (principle of cause) causality, causation, origination; ground[s], reason [why]; motive, ax to grind; why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation, root, determinant; etiology; ripple effect, butterfly effect. See attribution.

3. (types of causality) weight, sway, leverage (See influence); motive, impetus, impulse, consideration, motivation; temptation, enticement (See attraction); inspiration, exhortation, persuasion; goad, spur.

4. (one who causes) occasioner, prime mover, author, creator, producer; progenitor, parent, mother, father (See ancestry); mainspring, agent (See agency); instigator, rabblerouser.

Verbs

1. cause, be the cause of, originate, give rise to, occasion, bring, sow the seeds of, engender, [en]kindle; bring to pass, effectuate, bring about; produce, create, give birth to, generate; set up, set afloat, set on foot, found, broach, carry through, bring on, institute, lay the foundation of (See beginning); lie at the root of. Informal, trigger.

2. (cause to happen) procure, induce; draw down, open the door to, let; evoke, entail, elicit, provoke; conduce to, contribute; have a hand in, have a finger in the pie; determine, decide, turn or tip the scale or balance.

3. (be caused by) have a common origin, derive from (See effect).

4. (cause someone to do something) move, prompt, motivate, put up to; sway, persuade, talk into, bear upon, prevail upon, twist one's arm; inspire, inspirit, stimulate, rouse, animate, incite, stir or whip up; set or touch off, precipitate, instigate (See activity); urge, exhort, spur, goad, egg on.

Adjectives — causal, causative, etiological, efficient, original; primary, primitive, primordial; aboriginal; radical; seminal, generative, germinal; at the bottom of, [in] back of; basic, fundamental, crucial; proactive.

Adverbs — because, by reason of, on account of, due to; since, for as much as, inasmuch as, what with, in consideration of, in view of, in [the] light of, therefore; by, per, in or by virtue of; now that.

Phrases — the end justifies the means; as you sow, so shall you reap.

Quotations — The why is plain as way to parish church (Shakespeare), There is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things (Shakespeare), Most of the great results of history are brought about by discreditable means (Emerson), A man always has two reasons for what he does — a good one and the real one ( J. P. Morgan), What is found in the effect is already in the cause (Henri Bergson).

Antonyms, See effect.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [An underlying principle]

Syn. motive, reason, causation, object, purpose, explanation, inducement, incitement, prime mover, motive power, mainspring, ultimate cause, basis, justification, ground, matter, element, stimulation, instigation, foundation, determinant, wherefore, the why and wherefore; see also basis 1 , reason 3 .

Ant. effect, result*, outcome.

2. [The origin or source, thought of as the cause]

Syn. antecedent, root, beginning; see origin 3 .

3. [The immediate moving force]

Syn. antecedent, agent, condition, etiology, prompting, ground, problem, subject of dispute, matter, occasion, case, circumstance, precedent, situation, fault, straw that breaks the camel's back; see also circumstance 1 , circumstances 2 , event 1 .

4. [A person who brings about a result]

Syn. originator, agent, doer, instigator; see author 1 , doer .

5. [A belief]

Syn. principles, conviction, creed, movement; see belief 1 , faith 2 .

6. [Aim]

Syn. object, goal, ideal, objective; see plan 2 , purpose 1 .

Syn.- cause refers to a situation, event, or agent that produces an effect or result [ carelessness is often a cause of accidents ] ; reason implies the mental activity of a rational being in explaining or justifying some act or thought [ she had a reason for laughing ] ; a motive is an impulse, emotion, or deSire that leads to action [ the motive for a crime ] ; an antecedent is an event or thing that is the predecessor of, and is usually to some extent responsible for, a later event or thing [ war always has its antecedents] ; a determinant is a cause that helps to determine the character of an effect or result [ ambition was a determinant in his success ] v.

1. [To bring about]

Syn. produce, effect, make, let; see begin 1 , create 2 .

2. [To be the cause]

Syn. originate, provoke, generate, occasion, kindle, give rise to, induce, precipitate, prompt, bring about, bring on, spell, give occasion to, lie at the root of, be at the bottom of, bring to pass, sow the seeds of, breed; see also begin 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. determinant agent, reason, root, antecedent, motive, source, origin, mover, occasion, stimulus, mainspring.

2. ideal principle, end, objective, enterprise, goal, purpose.

II

v.

effect, induce, bring about, produce, incite, provoke, generate, breed, motivate, give rise to, precipitate.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. That which produces an effect: antecedent, occasion. See START. 2. A basis for an action or a decision: ground (often used in plural), motivation, motive, reason, spring. See START. 3. That which provides a reason or justification: call, ground (often used in plural), justification, necessity, occasion, reason, wherefore, why. Idiom: why and wherefore. See START. 4. A goal or set of interests served with dedication: crusade. See START. 5. A legal proceeding to demand justice or enforce a right: action, case, instance, lawsuit, suit. See LAW. II verb To be the cause of: bring, bring about, bring on, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir1 (up), touch off, trigger. Idioms: bring to pass (or effect), give rise to. See START.