a. [f. CAUSE sb. + -LESS.]
1. Having no antecedent cause: a. fortuitous; b. not to be explained by any natural cause; c. antecedent to all causes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 731. Grete God above That knoweth that none act is causeles.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, II. iii. 3. They say miracles are past, and we haue our Philosophicall persons, to make moderne and familiar things supernaturall and causelesse.
1712. Blackmore, Creation, I. 18. His causeless power, the cause of all things known.
2. Of persons: That has no cause or excuse for his action (obs.); that has no cause at law.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 229. Nowe is he Fals, ellas! and Causelesse, And of my woo he is so rewthelesse.
1598. Drayton, Heroic. Epist., vii. 161. Love causelesse still, doth aggravate his cause.
1607. Bp. Hall, Ps. vii. If I … Doe good unto my causeless foe That thirsted for my overthrow.
3. Of acts, etc.: Without cause; for which there is no justifying cause or reason; groundless.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., 27472. Condampnit for ane causles cryme, But ony falt.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 29. The causelesse rigour of the cruell Dame.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxv. § 16. And so delivered them from causeless blame.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Wks. 1738, I. 387. A causeless and most unjust Civil War.
a. 1711. Ken, Hymns Festiv., Poet. Wks. 1721, I. 348. He ne’re inflicts a causeless Pain.
1852. Hawthorne, Tanglewood T., Dragon’s Teeth. The strangest spectacle of causeless wrath.
B. As adv. or in quasi-adverbial construction.
(Often capable of being explained as an adj. in sense 2, qualifying the subject or object of the vb.)
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 779. What may this be, That thou dispaired art, thus causelesse?
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3190. Than kest þam twa of his kniȝtis him causeles to spill.
c. 1440. Partonope, 4923. He hath betrayed me Causeles.
1533. More, Debell. Salem, i. Wks. 934/2. My selfe was not causelesse there moued to fynde fawte.
a. 1555. Lyndesay, Trag., 11. Murdreist at Rome, causles and creuellie.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist Ivstine, 93 b. The causlles banished men.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. xxv. 31. Either that thou hast shed blood causelesse, or that my lord hath auenged himselfe.
1671. Milton, Samson, 701. [They] causeless suffering The punishment of dissolute days.
