presumed cause

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "presumed cause" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used when there is an assumption about the cause of a certain event or outcome, though the actual cause has not been proven. An example sentence would be: "The presumed cause of the malfunction was a power surge."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

In other cases, they result from unequal weighting of information, in particular, the tendency to pay greater attention to cases when both a presumed cause and a presumed effect are both present than the other three cases (this can also be seen as an example of the well-documented confirmation bias).

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

In future studies, a longitudinal design with data collected at different points over time would allow a better determination of the relationship between the presumed cause (i.e., sexual aggression) and the presumed effect (i.e., mental health problems).

BMC Women's Health

In six of those cases, the military conducted no autopsy to confirm the presumed cause of death.

The New York Times

Kuroda, with his bent front leg and rear foot dragging over the mound -- the presumed cause for the troublesome blisters on the top of his right foot -- appears to use the motion.

The New York Times

So far, no illnesses have been reported from beef in the second recall, but the total amount of beef involved amounts to the second-largest meat recall in history, behind Hudson Foods' 25 million pounds in 1997 -- and a scary one, for the presumed cause.

The New York Times

Four people — three deli workers and a man who had been riding past on a Citi Bike — were being rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center, and the presumed cause of the mayhem, identified by the police as Shaun Martin, 32, of Queens, was in custody.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

For one night, the Knicks did not appear to be rattled by trade rumors or lacking focus or swagger — the presumed causes of their recent tailspin.

The New York Times - Sports

"The emphasis was on fighting the presumed causes of the decline by getting rid of low-cost foreign imports or providing more subsidies," said Harold D. Miller, president of Future Strategies, a consultancy.

The New York Times

The presumed causes of healing after exchange nailing are both biological and mechanical [5].

Strategies in Trauma and Limb Reconstruction

Much less research has documented the efficacy of interventions designed to manipulate those presumed causes and correlates.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

As such, the researcher analyzed the presumed cause-effect relationship using three different case study designs: multiple (14 cases), quasi-experimental (2 cases), and longitudinal (1 case).

Environmental Management

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "presumed cause", ensure you acknowledge the lack of definitive proof to maintain transparency and avoid misleading the audience. For example, clarify that this is based on current understanding or preliminary findings.

Common error

Avoid presenting the "presumed cause" as a confirmed fact. Use qualifiers like "likely", "believed", or "suspected" to indicate uncertainty and prevent misinterpretation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "presumed cause" functions as a noun phrase, where "presumed" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "cause". It identifies a potential reason for a phenomenon, acknowledging that the reason is not definitively proven. Ludwig shows its frequent use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

63%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "presumed cause" is a useful tool for expressing a likely explanation when definitive proof is lacking. Ludwig's analysis indicates that it is grammatically sound and commonly used in both scientific and news contexts. When using the phrase, it is important to maintain transparency by acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the "presumed cause". Related phrases, such as "suspected reason" or "hypothesized cause", can offer subtle differences in meaning and emphasis. Remember to avoid overstating the certainty of a "presumed cause", and use qualifying language to indicate the degree of uncertainty. The phrase functions as a noun phrase and is neutral to formal in register. As Ludwig AI confirms, using this phrase correctly helps maintain clarity and accuracy in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

suspected reason

Replaces "cause" with "reason", indicating a belief about why something happened, though not necessarily a direct causal relationship.

alleged reason

Substitutes "presumed" with "alleged", suggesting the cause is stated but not yet proven, often in a legal or formal context.

supposed reason

Uses "supposed" instead of "presumed", implying the cause is popularly believed but may be incorrect or unconfirmed.

hypothesized cause

Replaces "presumed" with "hypothesized", indicating a cause that is proposed as a starting point for further investigation.

speculated origin

Replaces "cause" with "origin", broadening the scope to include the beginning or source of something, and "presumed" with "speculated", indicating less certainty.

assumed source

Changes "cause" to "source" and "presumed" to "assumed", suggesting something is taken for granted without proof.

inferred reason

Replaces "presumed" with "inferred", indicating the cause is deduced from evidence but not explicitly stated.

potential factor

Substitutes "cause" with "factor", making the relationship less direct and suggesting the cause may be one of several contributing elements, and replaces "presumed" with potential, suggesting this is a possibility.

possible explanation

Replaces "cause" with "explanation", focusing on understanding the event rather than its origin, and replaces "presumed" with possible, weakening the degree of certainty.

tentative origin

Replaces "cause" with "origin", broadening the scope to include the beginning or source of something, and "presumed" with tentative, weakening the degree of certainty.

FAQs

How can I use "presumed cause" in a sentence?

You can use "presumed cause" to indicate the likely, but not definitively proven, reason for an event. For example, "The "presumed cause" of the fire was faulty wiring."

What's the difference between "presumed cause" and "suspected cause"?

"Presumed cause" suggests a reason based on initial assessment, while "suspected cause" implies a reason that's under investigation but not yet confirmed. Both terms indicate uncertainty.

Are there more formal alternatives to "presumed cause"?

Yes, more formal alternatives include "hypothesized cause" or "alleged cause", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Can "presumed cause" be used in scientific writing?

Yes, "presumed cause" is acceptable in scientific writing when presenting a potential explanation for a phenomenon, especially when further research is needed to confirm the relationship. However, avoid overstating certainty. It's better to use a more formal language, like "hypothesized cause" in that case.