causato

Causato is the past participle of the Italian verb causare, meaning to cause. It functions as both a participle in compound tenses and as an adjective, indicating that something has been produced by a cause. The form is derived from Latin causatus, from causā meaning cause, and entered Italian with the typical -ato participle suffix.

As a verbal participle, causato forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avere, as in ho causato, hai causato, ha causato. It can also be used in a passive periphrasis with essere, when the action is understood as having been produced by a cause, for example è stato causato dalla tempesta. As an adjective, causato agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: un danno causato, una perdita causata, i danni causati, le perdite causate.

Common usage includes phrases such as causare danni (to cause damage) and danni causati (damages caused). The construction causato da expresses attribution, as in il danno è stato causato dal maltempo (the damage was caused by bad weather). In scientific, legal, and media texts, causato retains a concrete sense of resulting from a cause, rather than hypothetical or potential.

Causato is not typically used as a stand-alone noun in standard Italian; related nouns include causal, causazione (causation), and causa (cause). The word remains common in everyday language and formal writing to describe effects that owe their existence to a preceding cause.