to make common cause
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To work for the same object. Here "cause" is the legal term, meaning pro or con, as it may be, the cause or side of the question advocated.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to make common cause” mean?
To work for the same object. Here "cause" is the legal term, meaning pro or con, as it may be, the cause or side of the question advocated.
Is “to make common cause” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.