cause célèbre
[ kawz suh-leb-ruh, -leb; French kohz sey-leb-ruh ]
/ ˈkɔz səˈlɛb rə, -ˈlɛb; French koʊz seɪˈlɛb rə /
noun, plural causes cé·lè·bres [kawz suh-leb-ruh z, suh-lebz, kaw-ziz suh-leb-ruh, -leb; French kohz sey-leb-ruh] /ˈkɔz səˈlɛb rəz, səˈlɛbz, ˈkɔ zɪz səˈlɛb rə, -ˈlɛb; French koʊz seɪˈlɛb rə/.
any controversy that attracts great public attention, as a celebrated legal case or trial.
Origin of cause célèbre
1755–65; < French: literally, famous case
Words nearby cause célèbre
causation,
causationism,
causative,
cause,
cause a commotion,
cause célèbre,
cause list,
cause raised eyebrows,
cause-and-effect,
causerie,
causeuse
British Dictionary definitions for cause celebre
cause célèbre
/ (ˈkɔːz səˈlɛbrə, -ˈlɛb, French koz selɛbrə) /
noun plural causes célèbres (ˈkɔːz səˈlɛbrəz, -ˈlɛb, ˈkɔːzɪz səˈlɛbrə, -ˈlɛbz, French koz selɛbrə)
a famous lawsuit, trial, or controversy
Word Origin for cause célèbre
C19: from French: famous case
Cultural definitions for cause celebre
cause célèbre
[ (kohz say-leb-ruh, kawz suh-leb-ruh) ]
A cause or issue, generally political, that arouses public opinion: “The question of the draft was a cause célèbre in the 1960s.” From French, meaning “celebrated cause.”