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
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
Frank Bures… focused on observable and verifiable causes and effects in the natural world …—Rafi Eis
Rafi EisExamples of cause and effect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These models ingest and analyze signals from hundreds of sources—from ad placement and local time of day to device type, audience behaviors and contextual relevance—to identify complex patterns of cause and effect that can be used to gauge the likelihood of a conversion.
—Sergii Denysenko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
While the study is observational and cannot prove cause and effect, its large sample size adds weight to the findings.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Causal Loops By demonstrating circular patterns of cause and effect, causal loops illustrate how variables in a system influence one another.
—Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
This led to a chain of cause and effect (a trophic cascade) that affected beavers, birds, and even the flow of the river.
—Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause and effect
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Sergii Denysenko, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
While the study is observational and cannot prove cause and effect, its large sample size adds weight to the findings.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Causal Loops By demonstrating circular patterns of cause and effect, causal loops illustrate how variables in a system influence one another.
—Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
This led to a chain of cause and effect (a trophic cascade) that affected beavers, birds, and even the flow of the river.
—Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cause and effect
Cite this Entry
“Cause and effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cause%20and%20effect. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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