campaign and cause share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. campaign means “a race between candidates for elective office”. cause means “events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something”. cause is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/kæmˈpeɪn/
1.n.a race between candidates for elective office
“I managed his campaign for governor”
2.n.a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
“he supported populist campaigns”
3.n.several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints)
/ˈkɑz/
1.n.events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
“they are trying to determine the cause of the crash”
2.n.a justification for something existing or happening
“he had no cause to complain”
3.n.a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
“he supported populist campaigns”
| campaign | cause | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kæmˈpeɪn/ | /ˈkɑz/ |
| Said | kam-PAYN | kahz |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 8 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 7 | 7 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | political campaign, run | none recorded |
Full entry for campaign · Full entry for cause · More comparisons