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Synonyms

contribute

American

[kuhn-trib-yoot] / kənˈtrɪb jut /

verb (used with object)

to give (money, time, knowledge, assistance, etc.) to a common supply, fund, etc., as for charitable purposes.

Synonyms:

donate, furnish, provide
to furnish (an original written work, drawing, etc.) for publication.

to contribute stories to a magazine.

verb (used without object)

to give to a common supply, fund, etc..

He contributes to many charities.
to furnish written works, drawings, etc., for publication.

Our thanks to those who contributed to our alumni newsletter.
to be an important factor; help to cause something.

A sudden downpour contributed to the traffic jam.

contribute British

/ kənˈtrɪbjuːt /

verb

to give (support, money, etc) for a common purpose or fund
to supply (ideas, opinions, etc) as part of a debate or discussion
(intr) to be partly instrumental (in) or responsible (for)

drink contributed to the accident
to write (articles) for a publication

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of contribute

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin contribūtus, past participle of contribuēre “to bring together”; see origin at con-, tribute

Explanation

To contribute something is to provide a part of the whole. When your company has their annual softball game and potluck picnic, you will probably be asked to contribute a dish, like your famous macaroni salad. Contribute comes from a Latin word that means “to bring together, add, or unite.” When you contribute to a cause, you are adding to what other people have kicked in, which makes the effort complete. You can contribute your singing talent to a traveling a cappella group; you can contribute money or time to save rhinoceroses; you can contribute cupcakes to the gymnastics team bake sale; or you can even contribute ideas on healthcare reform to a Washington think tank.

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Vocabulary lists containing contribute

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

contribute contributes contributed contributing

The stock has fallen sharply from the highs reached after its initial public offering and OpenAI could contribute to a further fall.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Integrating advertisements into AI chatbots and encouraging the use of the tool to replace internet searches could contribute a further $100 billion to an upward of $200 billion, Bain found.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

YouTube content creators alone contribute £2.2bn to the UK economy, according to one report last year.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Evidence suggests these cells contribute to neurodegeneration, but researchers have not known where they originate or what prompts them to gather in the brain.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

It was Mother who decided to contribute most of the flock for feeding the village, like a peace offering.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

The T cells could then be directed toward the brain, where their activity contributes to neurodegeneration.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

“The atmosphere created by drawing so many fans definitely contributes to their success,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Wilson, who was raised by a single mom, still contributes to her retirement account today and watches her money grow in index funds.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

Data contributes heavily to the price range City believe a player falls in, and the valuation is never a single number.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

This inclusive nature has broadened the scope, and contributes towards a greater pedagogical understanding.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

"The annual revisions show AI contributed more to growth and less to inflation in recent years than previously thought," said Michael Pearce, chief US economist at Oxford Economics.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Those measurements bolstered the idea that the asteroid impact intensified volcanic activity, creating a one-two punch that contributed to the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

On Wednesday, signalling the end of the mission, the MoD paid tribute to UK personnel who had contributed to the counter-IS mission.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Brazil is Santander’s second-largest market and contributed 16% of earnings in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

I wonder, too, how many lies cell phones have contributed to the world.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

Any change—such as contributing more to the IRA or changing the distribution amount—can trigger a 10% penalty that is retroactive to all distributions taken before age 59½.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

If that signal can be determined, it could offer another way to prevent the immune cells from reaching brain tissue and contributing to damage.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

Instead she emphasised the principle of those "contributing" to the UK and treating them fairly.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Whether it’s contributing to charity, stopping to talk to an elderly neighbor or, as you say, giving something — however modest — to a homeless person, every little bit helps.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Haymitch finally joins us, contributing twenty-three years of tributes he was forced to mentor.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023