cause

/ˈkȯz/

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin causa "judicial proceedings, interests of one side in a judicial case, plea, pretext, ground of action, motive, reason," of uncertain origin

noun

  1. a reason for an action or condition : motive

  2. something that brings about an effect or a result

  3. a person or thing that is the occasion of an action or state; especially : an agent that brings something about

trying to find the cause of the accident

verb

  1. to serve as a cause or occasion of

  2. to compel by command, authority, or force

cause an accident

noun

  1. 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.