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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

Data collected by scientists over the years also have shown how El Niños contribute to “enormously strong” waves, which can cause beaches to “erode and to narrow,” Merrifield said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

It resembles LDL, often called "bad" cholesterol, but includes an additional protein that may make it more likely to contribute to cardiovascular disease.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

“That combination — high waves, high sea levels, high tides, and ... high rainfall will contribute to considerable coastal flooding, intrusion of salt water into the groundwater, and coastal erosion,” Merrifield said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Her crew, who are primarily indigenous, have carried out prescribed burns, also known as a hazard reduction burns – a practice of setting planned, controlled blazes to remove fuels that could contribute to wildfires.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

I have no words to contribute in this discussion.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

The court also heard that he contributes to a website, easily found online, which claims he is innocent.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

The researchers examined a signaling pathway that becomes increasingly active with age and contributes to the accumulation of abnormal proteins.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

In both scenarios, the couple contributes $480, but in the second scenario they get $30 per month more in savings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

While Justin Vernon of Bon Iver contributes writing and production to several tracks, the dreamier aesthetic of his own records is nowhere to be found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

A masterpiece, then, is a work that contributes to our vision of life and leaves us profoundly moved.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

PIK and acquisitions made by Medallia contributed to its debt rising.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

She added that recent incidents had at times contributed to a "heavy" atmosphere.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

It has contributed extensively to the open-source universe, including launching hugely popular open-source projects called React and PyTorch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

"We do not know if these magnesium organic compounds were contributed by brine chemistry or were simply left over from earlier impact shock processes."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

Everyone who buys the furniture will have contributed to the destruction of the forest, and the destruction of the forest contributes to the process of global warming.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

This led to a deeper look into other factors contributing to wrongful convictions, including prosecutorial misconduct and mistaken eyewitness identifications, especially those made by witnesses with different racial backgrounds from the suspects.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Eventually, he said, he was contributing weekly columns to Sp!ts, a free commuter newspaper in Amsterdam, chronicling his growing infatuation with the sport.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

The lack of new labor supply could be contributing to a shortage of labor, at least in some industries such as leisure and hospitality.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Sales for the core e.l.f. brand declined, but its Rhode brand offset the slump by contributing about $160 million in sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

I was contributing almost as much as I had during the previous summer, but I wasn’t taking the money proudly to Momma for her to count out and put into the crock.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

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