The complex and often unforeseen consequences or effects that result from an action or decision. These secondary effects typically spread out like branches from the original cause.
From Latin 'ramus' (branch) + 'facere' (to make). Originally a botanical term describing how plants branch out, it evolved in the 17th century to describe how consequences spread and multiply like tree branches.
The word's botanical origin perfectly captures how consequences work - one decision branches into multiple effects, which branch into more effects, creating an intricate network that can be impossible to predict. Like a tree's root system, ramifications often extend far beyond what's visible on the surface.
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