Relating to or acting as a cause; involving the relationship between cause and effect. It describes connections where one event or condition produces or influences another.
From Latin 'causa' meaning 'cause or reason,' with the adjectival suffix '-al' added in the 16th century. The term gained precision in philosophy and science as methods for establishing causation became more sophisticated.
Scientists spend enormous effort distinguishing causal relationships from mere correlations because our brains are pattern-seeking machines that often see causation where none exists - just because ice cream sales and drowning deaths both increase in summer doesn't mean ice cream causes drowning!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.