cause and effect

noun

plural causes and effects

: the direct relationship between an action or event and its consequence or result

There was an accident, so traffic was at a standstill. The gravitational pull of the moon causes the tides of the ocean. I stuck to a training plan, so I finished my race strong. Cause and effect is a concept we all learn in grade school, and we see it play out in hundreds of circumstances every day.

—Ben Gibson

"Human nature is to look for cause and effect," says Robert Baloh, professor of neurology and head and neck surgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. … "I see this daily when I see patients. They're all sure something they ate or something they did caused their problem and their symptoms."

—Frank Bures

… focused on observable and verifiable causes and effects in the natural world …

—Rafi Eis

Examples of cause and effect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While a number of studies have found associations between certain foods or drinks and disease, actually proving cause and effect is difficult. —Simon Spichak, Health, 16 Jan. 2025

The guiding philosophy melds the Buddhist principles of karma—cause and effect; that bad deeds will be repaid in kind—with Bon animism, which teaches respect for all sentient beings. —By Charlie Campbell/gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

Relating to and understanding his players, making judgements and corrections for true cause and effect, and successfully sublimating competitive drive to team development is an incredible thing. —Cj Moore, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025

Then there are cautionary tales like the one in which a boy gets his fingers cut off for being a picky eater—stories about cause and effect, separation from loved ones, stealing, and death. —Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above