attribute

[ verb uh-trib-yoot; noun a-truh-byoot ]

/ verb əˈtrɪb yut; noun ˈæ trəˌbyut /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR attribute ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), at·trib·ut·ed, at·trib·ut·ing.

to regard as resulting from a specified cause; consider as caused by something indicated (usually followed by to): She attributed his bad temper to ill health.

to consider as a quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc., indicated: He attributed intelligence to his colleagues.

to consider as made by the one indicated, especially with strong evidence but in the absence of conclusive proof: to attribute a painting to an artist.

to regard as produced by or originating in the time, period, place, etc., indicated; credit; assign: to attribute a work to a particular period; to attribute a discovery to a particular country.

noun

something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property: Sensitivity is one of his attributes.

something used as a symbol of a particular person, office, or status: A scepter is one of the attributes of a king.

Grammar. a word or phrase that is syntactically subordinate to another and serves to limit, identify, particularize, describe, or supplement the meaning of the form with which it is in construction. In the red house, red is an attribute of house.

Fine Arts. an object associated with or symbolic of a character, office, or quality, as the keys of St. Peter or the lion skin of Hercules.

Philosophy. (in the philosophy of Spinoza) any of the essential qualifications of God, thought and extension being the only ones known. Compare mode¹(def 4b).

Logic. (in a proposition) that which is affirmed or denied concerning the subject.

Obsolete. distinguished character; reputation.

Origin of attribute

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin attribūtus allotted, assigned, imputed to (past participle of attribuere), equivalent to at- at- + tribū- (stem of tribuere to assign (to tribes), classify, ascribe; see tribe) + -tus past participle suffix

synonym study for attribute

1. Attribute, ascribe, impute imply definite origin. Attribute and ascribe are often used interchangeably, to imply that something originates with a definite person or from a definite cause. Ascribe, however, has neutral implications; whereas, possibly because of an association with tribute, attribute is coming to have a complimentary connotation: to ascribe an accident to carelessness; to attribute one's success to a friend's encouragement. Impute has gained uncomplimentary connotations, and usually means to accuse or blame someone or something as a cause or origin: to impute an error to him. 5. See quality.

OTHER WORDS FROM attribute

at·trib·ut·a·ble, adjective at·trib·ut·er, at·trib·u·tor, noun mis·at·trib·ute, verb, mis·at·trib·ut·ed, mis·at·trib·ut·ing. non·at·trib·ut·a·ble, adjective

re·at·trib·ute, verb (used with object), re·at·trib·ut·ed, re·at·trib·ut·ing. un·at·trib·ut·a·ble, adjective un·at·trib·ut·a·bly, adverb un·at·trib·ut·ed, adjective well-at·trib·ut·ed, adjective

Words nearby attribute

attraction sphere, attractive, attractive nuisance, attractor, attrib., attribute, attribution, attribution theory, attributive, attrit, attrite

Example sentences from the Web for attributing

He is taking all the merit and attributing all the disasters to others.

Super Mario’s Parting Shots at Silvio Berlusconi |Barbie Latza Nadeau |December 29, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Attributing the last four years to either Republicans or Democrats is myopic American parochialism.

Who's Fault the Financial Crisis? |Megan McArdle |November 21, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
But I know by now to be very careful about attributing too much significance to a report like that.

Does the Slut Gene Exist? |Casey Schwartz |December 7, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
The suggestion that he wished to make himself safe by attributing those criticisms to some one else is hardly tenable.

Ten Tudor Statesmen |Arthur D. Innes

We do not for a moment think of attributing this failure of memory to the faculty of memory itself.

Psychotherapy |James J. Walsh
Have I, at this or any other period of my acquaintance with him, done any thing to justify him in attributing that opinion to me?

The Life of Jefferson Davis |Frank H. Alfriend
Am I wrong in my calculations in attributing too much to the power and usefulness of forms of government?

The Romance of Mathematics |P. Hampson
Perhaps she had been deceiving herself, and attributing to her father intentions that had never entered his mind.

The Ladies Lindores, Vol. 1(of 3) |Margaret Oliphant

British Dictionary definitions for attributing

attribute

verb (əˈtrɪbjuːt)

(tr usually foll by to) to regard as belonging (to), produced (by), or resulting (from); ascribe (to) to attribute a painting to Picasso

noun (ˈætrɪˌbjuːt)

a property, quality, or feature belonging to or representative of a person or thing

an object accepted as belonging to a particular office or position

grammar

an adjective or adjectival phrase
an attributive adjective

logic the property, quality, or feature that is affirmed or denied concerning the subject of a proposition

Derived forms of attribute

attributable, adjective attributer or attributor, noun attribution (ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃən), noun

Word Origin for attribute

C15: from Latin attribuere to associate with, from tribuere to give

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

attribute

verb (used with object), at·trib·ut·ed, at·trib·ut·ing.

noun

Origin of attribute

synonym study for attribute

OTHER WORDS FROM attribute

Words nearby attribute

Example sentences from the Web for attributing

British Dictionary definitions for attributing

verb (əˈtrɪbjuːt)

noun (ˈætrɪˌbjuːt)

Derived forms of attribute

Word Origin for attribute

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

attribute

verb (used with object), at·trib·ut·ed, at·trib·ut·ing.

noun

Origin of attribute

synonym study for attribute

OTHER WORDS FROM attribute

Words nearby attribute

Words related to attributing

Example sentences from the Web for attributing

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for attributing

verb (əˈtrɪbjuːt)

noun (ˈætrɪˌbjuːt)

Derived forms of attribute

Word Origin for attribute

British Dictionary definitions for attributing