cause célèbre

Definition

An issue or incident (originally, a legal case) arousing widespread controversy or public debate.

Etymology

From French cause (“cause, case”) + célèbre (“famous”), in the title of an 18th-century compilation of famous legal cases, Causes célèbres.

Example Sentences

• "Getting iced out by the tech giants turned Parler into a cause célèbre for conservatives who complained they were being censored, as well as a test case for the openness of the internet."
• "As Musk has waged this pressure campaign, he has incessantly posted in support of the far right in Europe and their current causes célèbres."