Expressions used in Everyday Spoken English in Social and Professional contexts
root cause
root cause
Meaning(s)
1) the primary/basic cause of something
How to MemorizePopularity HighProfessional HighSocial
the root cause of the problem/fault/illness
Analysis
A root is the part of a plant which absorbs the nutrients from the ground. The root cause of something, therefore, is the basic foundation or the underlying cause of something. "This drug gets to the root cause of the illness and you can expect to improve within a matter of days."
Social Examples (Basic)
The root cause of the airplane crashwas a faulty computer system.
Doctors diagnose patients bylooking for the root cause of their illness.
Professional Examples (Basic)
Our IT team has identified the root cause of the problem, so we should be able to push forward with production very soon.
Our aim here is to establish the root cause of the hostilities between these two parties.