causal factor
1
4.5
- noun
- /ˈkɔːzəl ˈfæktər/
- Specialized
- The study revealed that diet and exercise are significant causal factors in determining one's overall health.
- identify causal factors
- a major causal factor
- possible causal factors
Examples
-
Understanding the causal factors behind climate change is essential for developing effective policies.
-
The researcher identified several causal factors that led to the project's failure.
-
Only one or two causal factors could be reported per event.
Academic text (2004) -
In other words, when the causal factor occurs again, does the effect follow?
Academic text (1997) -
The next section then considers the causal factors at work and the implications of this analysis.
Academic text (1996) -
Consequently, identifying one or two causal factors as the key elements behind rising healthcare costs is difficult.
Academic text (1994) -
We did not identify and incorporate causal factors such as air conditioning use into the projection of future heat response.
Academic text (2016) -
Nor were they designed to manage more pervasive causal factors in human behavior patterns.
Academic text (2006) -
Regarding the factors that link hostility to poor health, two types of causal factors have been investigated.
Academic text (1992) -
The precise causal factors for these differences are not directly ascertainable from the data.
Academic text (1993)
Synonyms
∞
2.7
Something that affects an event, situation, or decision
∞
1.8
A thing or person that makes something happen
∞
2.1
A thing that helps cause a result
909
3.8
A person or group with power to make things happen
806
2.3
Power to change how people think and act and how things develop
11
6.8
A factor that strongly affects the result of something
8
3.7
A fact or condition that decides the result of something
3
4.2
The main thing that makes one result happen
1
7.0
A person or thing that makes something happen
How Influential
- Specialized
35
3.6
3
4.2
- Specialized
1
4.5
27
2.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'causal' (acting as a cause) combined with 'factor' (an element influencing an outcome) yields an element that causes or influences an outcome. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common combination and should be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Causal factor comes from the simple picture of a row of dominos: the word cause is like the first domino that is pushed and factor is the part that makes the rest fall. That's why a 'causal factor' means something that 'influences the outcome'.