cause cé ‧ lè ‧ bre /ˌkəʊz seˈlebrə, ˌkɔːz- $ ˌkɒːz-, ˌkoʊz-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural causes célèbres (same pronunciation) ) [countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: French ; Origin: 'famous legal case' ]
an event or legal case that a lot of people become interested in, because it is an exciting subject to discuss or argue about:
The case became a cause célèbre among feminists.