List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 66

SYNONYMS: cause, reason, occasion, antecedent.
These nouns denote things or prior conditions that bring about, or are associated with, certain effects.

A cause, singly or as one of a series, must exist for an effect logically to occur. Deficiency in vitamin C is the cause of scurvy.
Reason refers to what explains the occurrence or nature of an effect: There was no obvious reason for the accident.
Occasion i s a situation that permits or stimulates existing causes to come into play: Such were the causes; the occasion was an opportunity to celebrate.
Antecedent refers to what has gone before and implies a relationship---but not necessarily a causal one---with what ensues: Some of the antecedents of World War II lie in economic conditions.