a hidden cause

USAGE SUMMARY

"a hidden cause" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to an underlying reason or factor that is not immediately obvious. For example, "The team's poor performance was attributed to a hidden cause that only emerged after further investigation." Alternative expressions include "an underlying cause" and "a concealed reason."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

This revelation turned the spotlight on a hidden cause of obesity, although it does not explain away the recent increases in the condition.

The Guardian

Piriformis Syndrome is a hidden cause of sciatica.

Huffington Post

It is now clear that a hidden cause of sex problems is sleeplessness and that a hidden cause of sleeplessness is sex problems.

Vice

In situations where there is only a single underlying cause, these models formalize the central idea of probabilistic inference of a hidden cause.

Plosone

Furthermore, there is always a possibility that both insular structure and function laterality depends on a hidden cause.

European Journal of Neuroscience

Target motion was induced using a hidden cause that was a ramp function of post-stimulus time.

Biological Cybernetics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

AimsSuicidal behaviour is an under-reported and hidden cause of death in most low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) due to lack of national systematic reporting for cause-specific mortality, high levels of stigma and religious or cultural sanctions.

Duke University

This reflects the fact that the conditional expectations about the hidden cause show a much reduced latency at the onset of the second cycle due to top-down conditional predictions provided by the second-level hidden states.

Biological Cybernetics

"Well, as I understand it, a psychiatrist tries to uncover the hidden cause of your neurosis, whereas the cognitive behaviour therapist treats the symptoms that are making you miserable".

The Guardian - Books

The idea here is that inference about the trajectory of the hidden cause should enable an anticipatory optimisation of pursuit initiation, provided these trajectories are smooth hence a smooth pursuit model.

Biological Cybernetics

Although we always expect liberal estimates when the data are generated by coevolution because the tree is a hidden common cause of X and Y, when only one variable follows the tree, the variance of FET's p-values will increase due to over- and under-counting, leading to an unpredictable q-value calibration.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with verbs of discovery like "uncover", "reveal", "identify" or "expose" to create a narrative of investigation.

Common error

Do not use "a hidden cause" if you mean a cause that has not yet been discovered by anyone. "Hidden" suggests that the cause exists and could be found with the right tools or perspective, whereas "unknown" refers to a total lack of information. Using "hidden" implies there is a secret or obscured mechanism already in place.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a hidden cause" functions as a count noun phrase consisting of an indefinite article, an adjective, and a noun. It typically serves as the subject or direct object in a sentence. According to Ludwig AI, it is often used to introduce a breakthrough in reasoning or a discovery in an investigation.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

30%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a hidden cause" is a precise linguistic tool used to describe an underlying factor that is not immediately apparent. Ludwig AI data reveals that it is particularly prevalent in Scientific and Academic contexts, where it often refers to latent variables or biological mechanisms. It is grammatically correct and carries a formal to neutral tone, making it suitable for high-quality journalism and scholarly writing. When using this phrase, writers should ensure that the cause is truly "hidden"—meaning obscured or requiring investigation—rather than simply being a primary or main cause. Overall, it is an effective way to introduce complexity into a causal argument.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an underlying cause

Suggests a more fundamental or foundational reason rather than one that is specifically concealed

a concealed factor

Uses more formal vocabulary and suggests a component that contributes to a result

a latent reason

Emphasizes that the cause exists but is currently dormant or not yet manifested

an invisible driver

Metaphorical, implying a force that directs outcomes without being seen

a masked origin

Implies the cause is being covered by something else

an obscure root

Suggests the cause is difficult to see or understand due to its complexity

a stealthy contributor

Personifies the cause as something acting quietly or unnoticed

a subterranean influence

Suggests the cause operates beneath the surface of observation

a veiled catalyst

Technical term implying an obscured agent that accelerates a process

an overlooked trigger

Focuses on the fact that the cause was present but simply missed

FAQs

How do I use "a hidden cause" in a sentence?

You can use it as the subject or object of a sentence to highlight an elusive factor. For example: "The researchers finally identified "a hidden cause" for the sudden drop in data accuracy."

What can I say instead of "a hidden cause"?

Depending on your context, you might use "an underlying cause", "a latent factor" or "an obscure reason".

Is "a hidden cause" formal enough for academic papers?

Yes, it is widely accepted in academic and scientific literature. Ludwig AI shows many examples from journals like PlosOne and Biological Cybernetics where it is used to describe theoretical or biological variables.

What is the difference between "a hidden cause" and "a primary cause"?

A primary cause is the most important or main reason for something, whether it is obvious or not. "A hidden cause" focuses specifically on the fact that the reason is not immediately visible or apparent.