causative
adjective
caus·a·tive
| \ ˈkȯ-zə-tiv
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Definition of causative
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Examples of causative in a Sentence
A virus was found to be the causative agent of smallpox.
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s key for brain health, as oxidative stress is known to be a causative factor in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "8 Health Benefits of Peaches," 7 Aug. 2019 Up until now, there hasn’t been a way to ask whether a gene whose expression correlates with coral survival actually plays a causative role. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Could CRISPR Be the Key to Saving Coral?," 23 Apr. 2018 Here is a frightening statistic: In 2014, a research project that collected and tested black-legged deer ticks in Texas found 45 percent of those ticks carried the causative agent of Lyme disease. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Rattlers and ticks part of spring turkey hunting," 8 Apr. 2018 The relationship among filters, Photoshop apps, and plastic surgery apps is certainly correlative, if not causative. — Lizzie Plaugic, The Verge, "Inside the surreal, probably inevitable world of plastic surgery apps," 6 Apr. 2018 Although antibiotics can clear the infection with Mycobacterium leprae, the causative bacterium, U.S. clinicians often have difficulty diagnosing this rare and confusing disease. — Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, "U.S. leprosy budget cut closes clinics, threatens research," 2 Apr. 2018 Allcott is emphatic that the link between region and healthy eating is not causative and more research will be needed to tease out its nuances. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "This is the county that buys the least healthy groceries in the U.S.," 6 Feb. 2018 Up until now, there hasn’t been a way to ask whether a gene whose expression correlates with coral survival actually plays a causative role. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Could CRISPR Be the Key to Saving Coral?," 23 Apr. 2018 Here is a frightening statistic: In 2014, a research project that collected and tested black-legged deer ticks in Texas found 45 percent of those ticks carried the causative agent of Lyme disease. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Rattlers and ticks part of spring turkey hunting," 8 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'causative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for causative
causative
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of causative
formal
: making something happen or exist : causing something
See the full definition for causative in the English Language Learners Dictionary
causative
adjective
caus·a·tive
| \ ˈkȯ-zə-tiv
\
\
Legal Definition of causative
1
: effective or operating as a cause
the causative negligent act
2
: causal sense 2
the causative link between stress and coronary artery disease — National Law Journal