| cause | | |
| n. (event) | 1. cause | events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something.; "they are trying to determine the cause of the crash" |
| ~ inception, origination, origin | an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events. |
| ~ antecedent | a preceding occurrence or cause or event. |
| ~ aetiology, etiology | the cause of a disease. |
| ~ factor | anything that contributes causally to a result.; "a number of factors determined the outcome" |
| ~ producer | something that produces.; "Maine is a leading producer of potatoes"; "this microorganism is a producer of disease" |
| ~ mutagenesis | an event capable of causing a mutation. |
| n. (communication) | 2. cause, grounds, reason | a justification for something existing or happening.; "he had no cause to complain"; "they had good reason to rejoice" |
| ~ justification | a statement in explanation of some action or belief. |
| n. (act) | 3. campaign, cause, crusade, drive, effort, movement | a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end.; "he supported populist campaigns"; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"; "contributed to the war effort" |
| ~ venture | any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome. |
| ~ ad blitz, ad campaign, advertising campaign | an organized program of advertisements. |
| ~ anti-war movement | a campaign against entering or continuing a war. |
| ~ charm campaign | a campaign of flattery and friendliness (by a company, politician, etc.) to become more popular and gain support. |
| ~ consumerism | a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers. |
| ~ campaigning, candidacy, candidature, electioneering, political campaign | the campaign of a candidate to be elected. |
| ~ fund-raising campaign, fund-raising drive, fund-raising effort | a campaign to raise money for some cause. |
| ~ feminist movement, women's lib, women's liberation movement, feminism | the movement aimed at equal rights for women. |
| ~ gay lib, gay liberation movement | the movement aimed at liberating homosexuals from legal or social or economic oppression. |
| ~ lost cause | a defeated cause or a cause for which defeat is inevitable. |
| ~ reform | a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices.; "the reforms he proposed were too radical for the politicians" |
| ~ war | a concerted campaign to end something that is injurious.; "the war on poverty"; "the war against crime" |
| ~ youth crusade, youth movement | political or religious or social reform movement or agitation consisting chiefly of young people. |
| n. (tops) | 4. causal agency, causal agent, cause | any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results. |
| ~ physical entity | an entity that has physical existence. |
| ~ individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul | a human being.; "there was too much for one person to do" |
| ~ agent | an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect.; "their research uncovered new disease agents" |
| ~ nature | a causal agent creating and controlling things in the universe.; "the laws of nature"; "nature has seen to it that men are stronger than women" |
| ~ occult, supernatural | supernatural forces and events and beings collectively.; "She doesn't believe in the supernatural" |
| ~ theurgy | the effect of supernatural or divine intervention in human affairs. |
| ~ first cause, prime mover, primum mobile | an agent that is the cause of all things but does not itself have a cause.; "God is the first cause" |
| ~ destiny, fate | the ultimate agency regarded as predetermining the course of events (often personified as a woman).; "we are helpless in the face of destiny" |
| ~ catalyst | something that causes an important event to happen.; "the invasion acted as a catalyst to unite the country" |
| ~ deus ex machina | any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an insoluble difficulty. |
| ~ manipulator, operator | an agent that operates some apparatus or machine.; "the operator of the switchboard" |
| ~ power, force | one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority.; "the mysterious presence of an evil power"; "may the force be with you"; "the forces of evil" |
| ~ life principle, vital principle | a hypothetical force to which the functions and qualities peculiar to living things are sometimes ascribed. |
| ~ engine | something used to achieve a purpose.; "an engine of change" |
| ~ cause of death, killer | the causal agent resulting in death.; "heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States" |
| ~ danger | a cause of pain or injury or loss.; "he feared the dangers of traveling by air" |
| ~ agent | a substance that exerts some force or effect. |
| n. (act) | 5. case, causa, cause, lawsuit, suit | a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy.; "the family brought suit against the landlord" |
| ~ civil suit | a lawsuit alleging violations of civil law by the defendant. |
| ~ class-action suit, class action | a lawsuit brought by a representative member of a large group of people on behalf of all members of the group. |
| ~ countersuit | a suit brought against someone who has sued you. |
| ~ criminal suit | a lawsuit alleging violations of criminal law by the defendant. |
| ~ moot | a hypothetical case that law students argue as an exercise.; "he organized the weekly moot" |
| ~ bastardy proceeding, paternity suit | a lawsuit filed to determine the father of a child born out of wedlock (and to provide for the support of the child once paternity is determined). |
| ~ legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings | (law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked. |
| ~ law, jurisprudence | the collection of rules imposed by authority.; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" |
| v. (creation) | 6. cause, do, make | give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally.; "cause a commotion"; "make a stir"; "cause an accident" |
| ~ shape, determine, influence, regulate, mold | shape or influence; give direction to.; "experience often determines ability"; "mold public opinion" |
| ~ create, make | make or cause to be or to become.; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" |
| ~ initiate, pioneer | take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of.; "This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants" |
| ~ effect, effectuate, set up | produce.; "The scientists set up a shock wave" |
| ~ make | compel or make somebody or something to act in a certain way.; "People cannot be made to integrate just by passing a law!"; "Heat makes you sweat" |
| ~ occasion | give occasion to. |
| ~ call forth, evoke, kick up, provoke | evoke or provoke to appear or occur.; "Her behavior provoked a quarrel between the couple" |
| ~ breed, engender, spawn | call forth. |
| ~ incite, motivate, prompt, actuate, propel, move | give an incentive for action.; "This moved me to sacrifice my career" |
| ~ impel, force | urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate. |
| ~ facilitate | increase the likelihood of (a response).; "The stimulus facilitates a delayed impulse" |
| v. (communication) | 7. cause, get, have, induce, make, stimulate | cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner.; "The ads induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa" |
| ~ decide | cause to decide.; "This new development finally decided me!" |
| ~ persuade | cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm.; "You can't persuade me to buy this ugly vase!" |
| ~ bring | induce or persuade.; "The confession of one of the accused brought the others to admit to the crime as well" |
| ~ solicit | incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness or insubordination.; "He was accused of soliciting his colleagues to destroy the documents" |
| ~ encourage | spur on.; "His financial success encouraged him to look for a wife" |
| ~ let | actively cause something to happen.; "I let it be known that I was not interested" |
| ~ lead | cause to undertake a certain action.; "Her greed led her to forge the checks" |
| ~ instigate, prompt, inspire | serve as the inciting cause of.; "She prompted me to call my relatives" |
| ~ suborn | induce to commit perjury or give false testimony.; "The President tried to suborn false witnesses" |
| ~ compel, obligate, oblige | force somebody to do something.; "We compel all students to fill out this form" |
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