presumedcause
nounUK /prɪˈzjuːmd kɔːz/
US /prɪˈzuːmd kɔːz/
The thing people think made something happen, even before they are sure.
The presumed cause of the fire was a broken wire, but the firefighters were still checking.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In law, a reason that seems true enough for officials to start looking into something.
The judge said there was a presumed cause to search the building.
3. An early guess about why a problem happened, made before all the facts are known.
Scientists wrote down the presumed cause of the illness so they could test it later.
4. A cause that most people accept as true until someone shows it is wrong.
For years, the presumed cause of the strange noise was the old pipes.