immediate cause

USAGE SUMMARY

"immediate cause" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
Example: The immediate cause of the fire was a short circuit in the wiring.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

"It was the immediate cause," Rogers said.

The New York Times - Magazine

This was the immediate cause of the friction last week.

The Guardian

Deflation, whatever its immediate cause, may choke even more demand.

The Guardian - Business

The firmest of these concerns the immediate cause of intoxication.

The New Yorker

Dubious vote tallying was the immediate cause of the upheaval.

The New York Times

The immediate cause was the Canary Wharf project in London.

The New York Times

The immediate cause was his abrasive management style.

The Economist

Meanwhile, there was a more immediate cause for disquiet.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The immediate cause of death was a stroke.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Meningitis is usually the immediate cause of death.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The immediate cause was pneumonia, Ms. Fadiman said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "immediate cause" when you want to emphasize the most direct and apparent reason for something, rather than more distant or indirect influences.

Common error

Avoid attributing long-term issues solely to the "immediate cause". Acknowledge deeper, systemic factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "immediate cause" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies the most direct and apparent reason for an event or situation, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Encyclopedias

16%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Social Media

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "immediate cause" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe the most direct reason for an event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is widely used in news, encyclopedias, and scientific contexts. When writing, it's important to distinguish the "immediate cause" from underlying or root causes to provide a comprehensive understanding. While alternatives like "proximate cause" and "direct cause" exist, "immediate cause" remains a versatile and clear choice for identifying the most salient causal factor.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

proximate cause

Replaces "immediate" with "proximate", emphasizing closeness and directness in causation.

direct cause

Substitutes "immediate" with "direct", highlighting the straight line of causation without intermediaries.

primary reason

Replaces the causation terminology with "reason", focusing on the justification or explanation behind an event.

main factor

Shifts from cause to "factor", broadening the scope to include contributing elements, but retains the emphasis on importance.

principal driver

Uses "driver" instead of "cause", suggesting a force that propels or initiates the event.

key trigger

Replaces "cause" with "trigger", emphasizing the event that initiates a sequence of events.

precipitating event

Highlights the event that directly leads to the occurrence of something else.

root trigger

It moves the focus to the trigger itself, and adds 'root' in order to focus more on the origin point, which can be slightly less immediate.

underlying reason

Switches the focus to something not so much directly responsible, but that gives a solid base.

central impetus

It focuses on the impulse that makes something happen more than the causation of an event itself, so is less closely related.

FAQs

How does "immediate cause" differ from root cause?

The "immediate cause" is the most direct trigger of an event, while the root cause is the underlying factor that, if removed, would prevent the event from occurring. For example, a power outage might be the immediate cause of a factory shutdown, but inadequate maintenance could be the root cause.

What are some alternatives to using "immediate cause" in writing?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "proximate cause", "direct cause", or "primary reason".

Can "immediate cause" be used in both formal and informal contexts?

Yes, "immediate cause" is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. However, in highly formal or scientific writing, consider more precise terminology depending on the specific field.

Is "the immediate cause was" or "the immediate cause were" grammatically correct?

If "immediate cause" refers to a singular factor, use "was". If it refers to multiple factors acting together, "were" could be grammatically correct, but rewriting for clarity is often preferable. For example, "The immediate causes were a combination of factors" could be rephrased as "Several factors acted as the immediate cause".