because

Meanings

1. 1
   conj

   By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that.

   I hid myself because I was afraid.

2. 2
   conj

   As is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that.

   It must be broken, because I pressed the button and nothing happened.

3. 3
   conj

   So that, in order that.

   Simon[…]set the house on fire where he was born, because nobody should point at it.

4. 4
   adv

   On account, for sake [with of].

   My life is ruined because of you!

5. 5
   adv

   For the reason [with that].

   And God blessed the seuenth day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his worke, which God created and made.

6. 6
   prep

   On account of, because of.

   He rejected me because revenge, I guess.

7. 7
   intj

   Used alone to refuse to provide a full answer to a question begun with "why", usually taken as an anapodoton of the elided full phrase "Because I said so".

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bi Proto-West Germanic *bī Old English bī Middle English by Proto-Italic *kaussā Old Latin caussa Latin causabor. Old French causebor. Middle English cause Middle English bi cause English because From Middle English bi cause, from bi (“by”) + cause, modelled on Old French par cause.