/ kɔːz; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] the person or thing that makes sth happen :
Unemployment is a major cause of poverty.
There was discussion about the fire and its likely cause.
Drinking and driving is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents.
➡ note at reason
2.
[ U ] cause (for sth) a reason for having particular feelings or behaving in a particular way :
There is no cause for concern .
The food was excellent—I had no cause for complaint .
with / without good cause (= with / without a good reason)
3.
[ C ] an organization or idea that people support or fight for :
Animal welfare campaigners raised £70 000 for their cause last year.
a good cause (= an organization that does good work, such as a charity)
fighting for the Republican cause
—see also lost cause
4.
[ C ] ( law ) a case that goes to court
•
IDIOMS
- be for / in a good cause
—more at common adjective
■ verb
to make sth happen, especially sth bad or unpleasant :
[ vn ]
Do they know what caused the fire?
Are you causing trouble again?
The bad weather is causing problems for many farmers.
deaths caused by dangerous driving
[ vn to inf ]
The poor harvest caused prices to rise sharply.
[ vnn ]
The project is still causing him a lot of problems.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French , from Latin causa (noun), causare (verb).