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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This results show an association not cause and effect. Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025 Understanding climate change One of NOAA’s most crucial roles is its leadership in global research into understanding the causes and effects of climate change. Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025 The cause and effect of this tax policy will push citizens and prospective residents not to choose Chaska for their next home. Jay Rohe, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Between the assassination in Sarajevo, the mass slaughter in the trenches, and the stagnant front lines lie disproportions so immense that cause and effect lose all relation. George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cause and effect

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cause and effect was in 1599

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Cite this Entry

“Cause and effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cause%20and%20effect. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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