cause
/koːz/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.35 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.
Countable
noun
A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action.
Countable
verb
To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority.
Example Sentences
- "They identified a burst pipe as the cause of the flooding."
- "We thanke you both, yet one but flatters vs, As well appeareth by the cauſe you come, Namely, to appeale each other of high treaſon."
- "He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts."
- "There is no cause for alarm."
- "The end of the war was a cause for celebration."
- "He has no cause to do that."
Etymology
* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), borrowed from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. Doublet of chose (“(law) a thing; personal property”). See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga. * From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /koːz/
- British English: /kɔːz/
Usage
Inflected Forms
causes (plural)
causes (present, singular)
causing (participle, present)
caused (participle, past)
caused (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
caused (first person, past)
causest (archaic, present)
caused (past, second person)
causedst (archaic, past)
causeth (archaic, present)