the root cause

root cause

The most fundamental, central, or basic causal element of something. Violence in this part of town is rampant, but the root cause is really poverty and the wide distribution of narcotics. You're never going to solve your company's financial issues if you can't identify the root cause of your flagging sales.See also: cause, root

the ˌroot ˈcause (of something)

the main cause of something, such as a problem or difficult situation: Poverty is the root cause of most of the crime in the city.See also: cause, root