Webster's English Dictionary

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cause

1. cause \'ko.z\ \-l*s\ n [ME, fr. OF, fr. L causa] 1a: something that 
   occasions or effects a result  1b: a person or thing that is the occasion 
   of an action or state; esp  : an agent that brings something about 1c: 
   REASON, MOTIVE  2a: a ground of legal action  2b: CASE  3: a matter or 
   question to be decided  4: a principle or movement militantly defended or 
   supported CCASION mean something that produces an effect. CAUSE applies to 
   any event, circumstance, or condition or any combination of these that 
   brings about or helps bring about a result; DETERMINANT applies to a cause 
   that fixes the nature of what results as a product or an outcome; 
   ANTECEDENT applies to that which has preceded and may therefore be in some 
   degree responsible for what follows or derives or descends from it; REASON 
   applies to a traceable or explainable cause of a known effect; OCCASION 
   applies to a particular time or situation at which underlying causes become 
   effective - cause.less aj SYN syn CAUSE, DETERMINANT, ANTECEDENT, REASON, O 
2. cause vt 1: to serve as cause or occasion of  2: to effect by command, 
   authority, or force  - caus.er n