cause célèbre
noun
cause cé·lè·bre
ˌkȯz-sə-ˈleb 
-ˈle-brə
-ˈle-brə
ˌkōz-,
-ˈlebrᵊ
variants
or less commonly cause celebre
plural causes célèbres also causes celebres
same
1
: a legal case that excites widespread interest
2
: a notorious person, thing, incident, or episode
Synonyms
Examples of cause célèbre in a Sentence
a cause célèbre from some reality TV show whose fame hadn't even lasted the proverbial 15 minutes
Recent Examples on the Web
The case also became a cause celebre among Republican presidential hopefuls.
—
Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
Ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos outside the womb are considered children, the fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization has become a political cause celebre.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Opposition to non-compete agreements has become a new cause celebre on the left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
Since then, his fortunes apparently have changed and Floyd has become a something of a cause celebre in conservative circles.
—Chris Joyner, ajc, 29 Aug. 2023
Mitnick became a cause celebre for hackers who considered his 5-year prison term excessive.
—Time, 21 July 2023
His feud with the Commonwealth has turned him into cause celebre in conservative circles and has even put him on a new career path.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2022
Recently, a few pets have become cause celebre when their X-ray images went viral.
—Andrea Sachs, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Feb. 2023
The larger message of this incident is a sad one: Even if men in power make a cause celebre out of the work a woman is doing—even if that entails a personal or professional sacrifice—material support like a raise, or a promotion, still might not reach her.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 23 Dec. 2021
Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024
Ever since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos outside the womb are considered children, the fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization has become a political cause celebre.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Opposition to non-compete agreements has become a new cause celebre on the left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
Since then, his fortunes apparently have changed and Floyd has become a something of a cause celebre in conservative circles.
—Chris Joyner, ajc, 29 Aug. 2023
Mitnick became a cause celebre for hackers who considered his 5-year prison term excessive.
—Time, 21 July 2023
His feud with the Commonwealth has turned him into cause celebre in conservative circles and has even put him on a new career path.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2022
Recently, a few pets have become cause celebre when their X-ray images went viral.
—Andrea Sachs, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Feb. 2023
The larger message of this incident is a sad one: Even if men in power make a cause celebre out of the work a woman is doing—even if that entails a personal or professional sacrifice—material support like a raise, or a promotion, still might not reach her.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 23 Dec. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cause célèbre.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cause célèbre
Cite this Entry
“Cause célèbre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cause%20c%C3%A9l%C3%A8bre. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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