Cause Célèbre
(redirected from cause célêbre)Also found in: Dictionary, Idioms.
Cause Célèbre
[French, famous case.] A trial or lawsuit in which the subject matter or a participant is particularly newsworthy, unusual, or sensational and that typically attracts a great deal of media attention. For example, the case of Scott Peterson, accused of the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, was a cause célèbre in 2003.