root cause
35
3.6
- noun
- Specialized
:
causa raíz
- Experts agree that poverty is often the root cause of many social problems.
- address the root causes
- identify the root cause
- understand the root cause
And that was the real root cause of that problem, OK.
- And that was the real root cause of that problem, OK.
- None of these things treat the actual root cause of your PCOS.
- But did you know that that's not the root cause of the problem?
- So the hormones are the root cause of PMS and menopause.
- What do you think the the main root cause is for people wanting this?
- Find the root cause and you'll find help.
- I am worried though, that we're not attacking the root cause of obesity.
- Going back to the idea of root cause medicine, why didn't it work?
- This is the root cause of the lost decades that followed.
- The market doesn't really address the root cause of what they need.
- So you're really getting to the root cause of your issues.
- So, so what's the, what's the root cause?
- And so that has been the root cause of inflation.
- Fundamentally not if we look for root cause.
Examples
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I am worried though, that we're not attacking the root cause of obesity.
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Engineers have been able to identify several root causes for failure.
Academic text (2011) -
And that was the real root cause of that problem, OK.
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This is the root cause of the lost decades that followed.
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And so that has been the root cause of inflation.
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Our government really started by understanding the root cause of the problem of the human resource crisis.
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Human beings can usually be found somewhere very near the root cause of most environmental problems.
Academic text (1997) -
Experts start to treat anxiety and depression as the root cause of your problem.
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Granted, the profit motive in the world economy is a basic root cause for the war.
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Most people in Turkey have achieved a better understanding of the root causes of their society's problems.
Academic text (2000)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A cause or explanation for something that happened
∞
1.8
A thing or person that makes something happen
502
3.1
The place or cause where something begins
Antonyms
How Fundamental
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'fundamental reason' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'root' (underlying source or origin) with 'cause' (a reason or factor), so the compound simply emphasizes the primary or underlying reason. This metaphorical use of 'root' to mean origin is common cross-linguistically and follows a standard compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Root cause comes from the picture of a plant: the root is hidden under the ground and feeds the plant, and the cause is the reason why the plant is sick. So when we say 'root cause' we mean the basic, 'fundamental reason' behind a problem.