result

result — verb

1. To happen as a direct effect of an action, event, or situation that came before

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

To happen as a direct effect of an action, event, or situation that came before it, creating a clear cause-and-effect link between the two.

Example

The flooding resulted from weeks of heavy rain in the mountains.

result from + cause (noun phrase showing origin)

The company's losses resulted in the closure of two factories.

result in + effect (noun phrase showing outcome)

Common collocations
  • result directly
  • result naturally
  • result inevitably
  • result partly
  • result from a mistake
  • result in failure
  • result in success
  • result in disaster
  • result in a change
Synonyms
  • arise

    More formal; often used for abstract situations (problems, questions, doubts) rather than concrete events.

  • stem

    Suggests a clear origin or source; used with from (stem from).

  • lead to

    Covers the result in direction; slightly less formal and can be used with a person as subject.

  • cause

    Stronger and more direct; the cause is the grammatical subject, not marked by a preposition.

Grammar Patterns

result from + noun phrase (cause)

result in + noun phrase (effect)

Usage Note

Always intransitive — this verb cannot take a direct object. You must use from (to name the cause) or in (to name the effect). The subject is either the effect (with from) or the cause (with in).

Common Mistakes

The rain resulted a flood.
The rain resulted in a flood.
result is always intransitive and needs a preposition (in or from).
The accident was resulted from his mistake.
The accident resulted from his mistake.
result is never used in the passive voice.

result — noun

Word family

  • resulting
    adjectiveB2
  • resultant
    adjectiveC1
  • results
    plural nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Result is the most neutral and general word for anything that happens because of something else — it works in everyday speech, academic writing, and journalism. Consequence is more formal and tends to carry a negative tone ('the consequences of the oil spill'), though neutral uses exist (logical consequence). Outcome focuses on the final situation after a process, often with an element of uncertainty ('waiting for the election outcome'), and can be positive or negative. Effect emphasises the direct impact or change produced by a cause, often used with a modifier ('long-term effects', 'side effects'). Upshot is informal and conversational, used to summarise the final result of a discussion or situation ('The upshot was that nobody got the job'). For everyday use, result is the safest choice. Consequence suits formal or cautionary writing. Effect works well when describing cause-and-impact relationships. Outcome fits dynamic or unresolved situations. Upshot should be reserved for informal, spoken contexts.

consequence ↗outcome ↗effect ↗upshot

Common collocations

Nouns

  • as a result (of)
  • end result
  • final result
  • net result
  • desired result

Adverbs

Phrases

  • result in
  • result from
  • get results
  • achieve results
  • produce results
  • show results
  • with the result that
  • announce the results
  • publish results
  • report results

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Result comes from the Latin verb resultāre, meaning 'to spring back, rebound'. This was formed from re- ('back') and saltāre ('to leap, jump' — also the source of 'salmon' and 'somersault'). Old French adopted it as resulter, and English borrowed it in the 1400s. The original sense of 'springing back' gradually widened: by the 1600s, result referred to any effect or consequence — the thing that 'springs back' or follows from a cause. The noun form developed in parallel, and by the 1800s, result was established for exam scores, sports outcomes, and financial figures.