noun
causation
kaw-ZAY-shuhn/kɔːˈzeɪʃn/
The action or relationship by which one thing produces another.
The falling blocks illustrate causation as each knocks down the next.
Etymology
Based on causa, causation moved from the act of producing an effect to the cause–effect relationship itself. It may have formed from English cause or come from Latin causatio, 'action of causing.'
In context
noticing a correlation between two things doesn’t imply that one of those things causes the other. Hence the common refrain: correlation doesn’t imply causation.
More examples
- A link between two events does not prove causation.
- The study examines causation, not just patterns in the data.
- The lawyer must establish causation between the unsafe conditions and the injury.
Forms
Similar words
- causality
- Emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship rather than the act of producing.