cause

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.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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  • 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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