cause-and-effect
|cause/and/effect|
/kɔːz ənd ɪˈfɛkt/
relationship of cause and result
Etymology
'cause-and-effect' originates from the combination of 'cause' and 'effect', where 'cause' comes from Latin 'causa' meaning 'reason' and 'effect' from Latin 'effectus' meaning 'accomplishment'.
'cause' and 'effect' were used separately in Middle English and eventually combined to form the modern English term 'cause-and-effect'.
Initially, it meant 'reason and result', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a relationship between events or things, where one is the result of the other or others.
The cause-and-effect relationship between smoking and lung cancer is well-documented.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:41