/ ˈkɔːzətɪv; NAmE / adjective
1.
( formal ) acting as the cause of sth :
Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases.
2.
( grammar ) a causative verb expresses a cause, for example blacken which means 'to cause to become black'
—compare ergative , inchoative
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French causatif , -ive , or late Latin causativus , from causare to cause.