cause

cause
1 noun
1 WHAT CAUSES STH (C) a person, event, or thing that makes something happen
(+ of): What was the cause of the accident? | The doctor had recorded the cause of death as heart failure. | root/underlying etc cause (=the basic cause): The root cause of the crime problem is poverty. | cause and effect (=the idea or fact of one thing directly causing another) -see reason 1
2 GOOD REASON (U) something that makes it right or fair for you to feel or behave in a particular way
(+ for): There is no cause for alarm. | cause for complaint (=a reason to complain): I've got no cause for complaint - I'm doing all right. | cause for concern (=a reason to be worried): The patient's condition is giving cause for concern. | have good cause to: God knows he's got good cause to be relieved. | with/without good cause: Many people are worried about the economy, and with good cause.
3 STH YOU SUPPORT
a) (C) an organization, principle, or aim that a group of people support or fight for: How many of them are sympathetic to our cause?
 (+ of): her lifelong devotion to the cause of women's rights
b) be in/for a good cause if something you do is for a good cause, it is worth doing because it is intended to help other people, especially through a charity (2): Well, I don't mind giving if it's for a good cause.
4 make common cause (with) formal to join with other people or groups for a particular purpose: Faced by an enemy on their territory, the French parties tried to make common cause.
5 LAW (C) a case that is brought to a court of law
-see also: lost cause lost 1 (13) 2 verb (T) to make something happen: Heavy traffic is causing long delays on the freeway. | cause sb/sth to do sth: A dog ran into the road, causing the cyclist to swerve. | cause concern/uncertainty/embarrassment etc (=make people feel worried, unsure, embarrassed etc): The constant changes of policy have caused a great deal of uncertainty in the workforce. | cause sb trouble/problems/inconvenience etc: Jimmy's behaviour is causing me a lot of problems. | cause offence (=offend someone): I'm sorry; I didn't mean to cause offence. USAGE NOTE: CAUSE GRAMMAR Something can cause death/crime/trouble etc, or cause somebody inconvenience/a problem etc etc: His behaviour caused everyone a lot of worry (NOT caused to everyone ...). Something can cause someone or something to do something: The disease caused his face to swell (NOT caused that his face swelled, or caused his face swell, though you could say less formally ...made his face swell). SPELLING Remember the difference between cause, and because and of course.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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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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