Meaning

6 senses
  1. (countable, often, with of)The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result.

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

    Ursache, Anlass, Grund

    причи́наpričína, основа́ниеosnovánije

    причи́наpryčýna

  2. (especially, uncountable)Sufficient reason.

    There is no cause for alarm.

    The end of the war was a cause for celebration.

  3. (countable)A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends.

    Sache

    де́лоdélo, стремлениеstremlenije

    спра́ваspráva

  4. (countable)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.

  5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Sake; interest; advantage.

  6. (countable, obsolete)Any subject of discussion or debate; a matter; an affair.

More definitions
  • a justification for something existing or happening
  • events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
  • any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results
  • a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end

Examples

2469 sentences
  1. I don't know what caused it.

    Я не знаю що спричинило це.

    ruЯ не знаю, чем это вызвано.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  2. What was the cause of the explosion?

    Що було причиною вибуху?

    ruЧто было причиной взрыва?

    deWas war der Grund für die Explosion?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  3. The cause of the fire was unknown.

    Причина пожежі була невідома.

    ruПричина пожара была неизвестной.

    deDie Ursache des Brandes war unbekannt.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  4. Do you know what caused the problem?

    Ти знаєш, що спричинило цю проблему?

    ruТы знаешь, что вызвало эту проблему?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  5. Do you know what's causing the problem?

    Ти знаєш, що є причиною проблеми?

    ruВы знаете, из-за чего эта проблема?

    deWeißt du, wovon das Problem verursacht wird?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 2
source or reason of an event or action:
goal, aim, principle:
Русский
By meaning 2
source or reason of an event or action:
goal, aim, principle:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
source or reason of an event or action:
goal, aim, principle:

Origin

* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French c

* 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.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: causes
Singularcause
Pluralcauses

regular

Synonyms

38 synonyms
Close in meaning

Antonyms

7 antonyms

Word family

42 related words

Collocations

12 patterns
  • caused the problem
  • the cause of
  • what caused the
  • caused the accident
  • cause of the
  • one who caused
  • know what caused
  • cause problems
  • who caused the
  • cause of death
  • want to cause
  • investigating the cause

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
cause — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto