cause

noun
/kɔːz/

The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.

Example

“They identified a burst pipe as the cause of the flooding.”

Other meanings

Sufficient reason.
“There is no cause for alarm.”
A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.

Example sentences

“I want to contribute to a charitable cause.”
Tatoeba · ddnktr · CC0
“What causes are you passionate about?”
Tatoeba · Igider · CC0
“They sacrificed themselves for the cause.”
Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · CC0

Word history

From Latin "causa" (reason, sake, cause).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “cause” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.