Cause Celebre Definition

kôz sə-lĕb, kōz sā-lĕbrə
cause-celebre
noun
An issue arousing widespread controversy or heated public debate.
American Heritage
A celebrated law case, trial, or controversy.
Webster's New World
A person, thing, or incident that has become widely known, often because of controversy.
Webster's New World

Origin of Cause Celebre

  • Borrowing from French cause (“cause, case”) + célèbre (“famous”), in the title of a famous 18-century compilation of famous legal cases, Nouvelles Causes Célèbres.

    From Wiktionary

  • French cause case célèbre celebrated

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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