# cause célèbre

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɔːz sɛˈlɛbɹ(ə)/

## Definitions
1. An issue or incident (originally, a legal case) arousing widespread controversy or public debate.

## Etymology
From French cause (“cause, case”) + célèbre (“famous”), in the title of an 18th-century compilation of famous legal cases, Causes célèbres.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cause-celebre