cause — OAT · Shobdo

cause

noun

1 the cause of the fire has not been found:

source, root, origin, beginning(s), starting point, seed, germ, genesis, agency, occasion;

mainspring, base, basis, foundation, bottom, seat;

originator, author, creator, producer, agent, prime mover, maker;

Latin fons et origo;

literary fountainhead, wellspring, fount, begetter;

rare radix.

▷antonyms effect; result.

2 there is no cause for alarm:

reason, grounds, justification, call, need, necessity, occasion, basis, motive, motivation, inducement, excuse, pretext, purpose, stimulus, provocation.

3 aid projects must serve the cause of human rights | I am raising money for a good cause:

principle, ideal, belief (in), conviction, tenet;

object, end, aim, objective, purpose, interest;

movement, enterprise, undertaking, charity.

4 he visited Germany to plead his cause with politicians:

case, suit, lawsuit, action, dispute, contention, point of view.

verb

this disease can cause blindness:

bring about, give rise to, be the cause of, lead to, result in, create, begin, produce, generate, originate, engender, spawn, occasion, effect, bring to pass, bring on, precipitate, prompt, provoke, kindle, trigger, make happen, spark off, touch off, stir up, whip up, induce, inspire, promote, foster;

literary beget, enkindle;

rare effectuate.

▷antonyms result from.

word links	cause
-genic suffix meaning ‘causing ...’, as in carcinogenic, iatrogenic -facient suffix meaning ‘causing ...’, as in abortifacient, liquefacient