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causes - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | cause |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring into being; bring about |
| Synonyms: | begin, brainstorm*, break in*, break the ice*, breed, bring to pass, come out with*, compel, cook up*, create, dream up*, effect, elicit, engender, evoke, generate, hatch, incite, induce, introduce, kickoff*, kindle, let, make, make up, motivate, muster, occasion, open, originate, precipitate, produce, provoke, revert, secure, work up, be at the bottom of, fire up, get things rolling, give rise to, lead to, result in, sow the seeds, start the ball rolling, think up |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | cause |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | agent, originator |
| Synonyms: | account, agency, aim, antecedent, author, basis, beginning, consideration, creator, doer, element, end, explanation, foundation, genesis, ground, grounds, incitement, inducement, instigation, leaven, maker, matter, motivation, motive, object, occasion, origin, prime mover, principle, purpose, root, source, spring, stimulation, causation, determinant, mainspring, producer |
| Antonyms: | consequence, development, effect, end, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, product, result |
| Main Entry: | cause |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | belief; undertaking for belief |
| Synonyms: | attempt, conviction, creed, enterprise, faith, goal, ideal, intention, movement, object, objective, plan, purpose, principles |
| Main Entry: | whys and wherefores |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reasons |
| Synonyms: | details, causes, explanations, justifications, whys |
| Main Entry: | account |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | basis or consideration for action |
| Synonyms: | cause, ground, grounds, interest, justification, motive, rationale, reason, regard, sake, rationalization |
| Main Entry: | action |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | a legal process |
| Synonyms: | case, cause, claim, lawsuit, litigation, proceeding, prosecution, suit |
| Main Entry: | actuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start a function or action, motivate |
| Synonyms: | activate, animate, arouse, cause, drive, egg on*, energize, excite, impel, incite, induce, influence, inspire, instigate, mobilize, motivate, move, prompt, propel, quicken, rouse, spur, stimulate, turn on*, work up*, fire up, key up, put up to, work into lather |
| Notes: | when something is activated, it is made active; when something is actuated, it is moved to take action (or produce a consequence) to actuate is a general word meaning 'to set working' and has more to do with mechanical action - while activate is used mainly in scientific expressions |
| Antonyms: | impede, stop |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | agent |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | power, instrument for achievement |
| Synonyms: | cause, channel, factor, force, means, medium, organ, power, vehicle |
| Main Entry: | basis |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | foundation for belief, action |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, assumption, authority, axiom, backbone, background, backing, base, bedrock, cause, center, core, crux, data, dictum, essence, essential, evidence, explanation, footing, fundamental, heart, infrastructure, justification, keynote, keystone, law, nexus, nucleus, postulate, premise, presumption, principle, proof, reason, root, sanction, security, source, support, theorem, theory, underpinning, warrant, chief ingredient, hard fact, presupposition, principal element, rudiment, substratum |
| Main Entry: | beget |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | create, bear |
| Synonyms: | afford, breed, bring, bring about, cause, effect, engender, father, generate, get, multiply, occasion, procreate, produce, propagate, reproduce, sire, give rise to, progenerate, result in |
| Main Entry: | begin |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | start |
| Synonyms: | activate, actualize, break the ice*, bring about, bring to pass, cause, commence, create, do, drive, effect, embark on, enter on, enter upon, establish, eventuate, found, generate, go ahead, go into, impel, inaugurate, induce, initiate, instigate, institute, introduce, launch, lead, make, motivate, mount, occasion, open, originate, prepare, produce, set up, trigger, undertake, break ground, get going, give birth to, give impulse, lay foundation for, make active, plunge into, set about, set in motion |
| Antonyms: | complete, conclude, consummate, end, finish |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | behalf |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | personal interest |
| Synonyms: | account, advantage, aid, assistance, benefit, cause, concern, countenance, defense, encouragement, favor, furtherance, good, help, part, place, profit, recommendation, representation, sake, service, side, support, welfare, stead |
| Main Entry: | bottom |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | base, core |
| Synonyms: | basis, bottom line, cause, essence, ground, heart, marrow, origin, pith, principle, quintessence, root, soul, source, stuff, substance, essentiality, mainspring, virtuality |
| Antonyms: | outside, exteriority |
| Main Entry: | breed |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | generate, bring into being |
| Synonyms: | bear, beget, bring about, cause, create, deliver, engender, hatch, impregnate, induce, make, multiply, originate, procreate, produce, propagate, reproduce, bring forth, give birth to, give rise to, progenerate |
| Antonyms: | not produce |
| Main Entry: | bring on |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | provoke |
| Synonyms: | accelerate, advance, cause, expedite, generate, induce, inspire, occasion, precipitate, prompt, give rise to, lead to |
| Main Entry: | case |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | matter brought before a court |
| Synonyms: | action, argument, cause, claim, dispute, evidence, lawsuit, litigation, petition, proceedings, process, proof, suit, trial |
| Main Entry: | circumstance |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | situation, condition |
| Synonyms: | Moira, accident, action, adjunct, affair, article, case, cause, coincidence, concern, contingency, crisis, destiny, detail, doom, element, episode, event, exigency, fact, factor, fate, feature, fortuity, go, happening, happenstance, incident, intervention, item, juncture, kismet, lot, matter, occasion, occurrence, particular, phase, place, point, portion, proviso, respect, scene, status, stipulation, supervention, thing, time, where it's at |
| Main Entry: | contract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | catch disease |
| Synonyms: | acquire, afflict, be afflicted with, be ill with, become infected with, bring on, cause, come down with, decline, derange, develop, disorder, fall, fall victim to, get, go down with, incur, indispose, induce, obtain, sicken, sink, succumb to, take, take one's death, upset, weaken |
| Antonyms: | give |
| Main Entry: | crusade |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | campaign for cause |
| Synonyms: | cause, demonstration, drive, evangelism, expedition, holy war, march, movement, push, jihad |
| Main Entry: | deed |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | achievement |
| Synonyms: | accomplishment, act, action, adventure, ballgame, big idea, bit, byplay, cause, commission, crusade, do, enterprise, exploit, fact, feat, follow through, game, happenin', performance, plan, quest, reality, securing, stunt, thing*, tour de force, truth, winning |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.

