2
: of, relating to, or constituting a cause
the causal agent of a disease
3
: involving causation or a cause : marked by cause and effect
a causal link
evidence suggests that there is a strong causal relationship between an individual's experiences with his parents and his later capacity to make affectional bonds—
G. A. Miller
G. A. Miller4
: arising from a cause
a causal development
Examples of causal in a Sentence
No causal connection between the events was found.
There is a causal link between poverty and crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
And Kennedy’s claim that SSRIs have contributed to school shootings has no causal support in the research literature.
—Jonathan Slater, STAT, 13 May 2026
The model uses a deep-learning natural language processing architecture to extract causal relationships between products, services, and their impacts from the scientific literature, and consolidates this information with economic data to produce quantitative estimates of corporate net impact.
—Time Staff, Time, 12 May 2026
Whitmore is cautious not to draw causal links.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
While there is clearly a correlation, or a connection, between salary and collective bargaining, there is not enough fine-grain data to draw a direct, causal link between the two.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for causal
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Jonathan Slater, STAT, 13 May 2026
The model uses a deep-learning natural language processing architecture to extract causal relationships between products, services, and their impacts from the scientific literature, and consolidates this information with economic data to produce quantitative estimates of corporate net impact.
—Time Staff, Time, 12 May 2026
Whitmore is cautious not to draw causal links.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
While there is clearly a correlation, or a connection, between salary and collective bargaining, there is not enough fine-grain data to draw a direct, causal link between the two.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for causal
Cite this Entry
“Causal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/causal. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
causal
adjective
caus·al
ˈkȯ-zəl 
: of, relating to, or being a cause
Legal Definition
causal
adjective
caus·al
ˈkȯ-zəl
1
: of, relating to, or constituting a cause
causal negligence
2
: involving causation or a cause
no causal relationship between driving without insurance and the accident—National Law Journal
National Law Journala causal link exists between the deceptive act and the injury—National Law Journal
National Law Journal3
: arising from a cause
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