attribute

American  

[uh-trib-yoot, a-truh-byoot] / əˈtrɪb jut, ˈæ trəˌbjut /

verb (used with object)

• attributes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• attributed,
  past participle,  past
• attributing
  present participle

1. to regard as resulting from a specified cause; consider as caused by something indicated (usually followed byto ).

   She attributed his bad temper to ill health.

2. to consider as a quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc., indicated.

   He attributed intelligence to his colleagues.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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noun

• attributes
  plural

1. something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property.

   Sensitivity is one of his attributes.

2. something used as a symbol of a particular person, office, or status.

   A scepter is one of the attributes of a king.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Philosophy. (in the philosophy of Spinoza) any of the essential qualifications of God, thought and extension being the only ones known.

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

7. Obsolete. distinguished character; reputation.

attribute British  

/ ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃən /

verb

1. to regard as belonging (to), produced (by), or resulting (from); ascribe (to)

   to attribute a painting to Picasso

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noun

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

2. an object accepted as belonging to a particular office or position

3. grammar

   1. an adjective or adjectival phrase

   2. an attributive adjective

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

Synonym Usage

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. See quality.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• attributer
  noun
• attribution
  noun
• attributor
  noun
• misattribute
  verb
• reattribute
  verb (used with object)
• attributable
  adjective
• unattributed
  adjective
• well-attributed
  adjective
• unattributably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• attributes
  plural

Participles

• attributing
  present
• attributed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• attribute
  simple
• attributes
  simple
• have attributed
  perfect
• has attributed
  perfect
• am attributing
  progressive
• are attributing
  progressive
• is attributing
  progressive
• have been attributing
  perfect progressive
• has been attributing
  perfect progressive

Past

• attributed
  simple
• had attributed
  perfect
• was attributing
  progressive
• were attributing
  progressive
• had been attributing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will attribute
  simple
• will have attributed
  perfect
• will be attributing
  progressive
• will have been attributing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of attribute

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

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Explanation

An attribute is a quality or characteristic given to a person, group, or some other thing. Your best attribute might be your willingness to help others, like when you stopped traffic so the duck family could cross the street. Attribute comes from the Latin verb attribuere, which is made up the prefix ad, meaning "to," and tribuere meaning "give or bestow." As a verb, to attribute is to give credit, like if you attribute the A on your test to all that hard studying. In Greek and Roman mythology an attribute will often stand in for a character such as Zeus's lightning bolt or Poseidon's trident.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

attribute attributes attributed attributing

Economists attribute to immigrants the bulk of U.S. population growth from 1990 to 2015.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

If she is addicted to fame, mendacity, theatrical performance or whatever pathology some attribute to her, we are addicted to her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

It says it had not verified those outcomes and "cannot attribute the recruitment decisions to our training".

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

MarketWatch will not attribute your comments to you by name without your permission.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Unexpectedly—although it was later to become a familiar note, a recognizable attribute of what was to mean “Theodora” in Eleanor’s mind—Theodora caught at Eleanor’s thought, and answered her.

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

But the 31-year-old showed his key attributes - tenacity, athleticism and controlled aggression - to threaten a huge upset against Medvedev.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

“People come in here and they tell me they want a Cabernet Sauvignon and then they describe all the attributes of Merlot,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

He attributes his successes to Lula's social policies, having won a scholarship before going on to graduate as a lawyer.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

The Rams displayed all those attributes Sunday in a 35-21 victory over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

New Twelves were called to the stage individually and their attributes described.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

Junior center Max Davidson attributed the group’s success to a deep camaraderie and hard work.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

“What identifies an individual as a king is how other people behave towards him,” says a quote attributed to the actor.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

He attributed the change to "lower operating costs compared to running petrol-powered cars", allowing drivers a chance of higher profits.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

The company attributed the sales decline to fewer working days because of holidays in South Korea, strike-related production constraints and weaker global industry demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The quotation, commonly attributed to Nietzsche, that “there is no immaculate perception,” perfectly captures how cognitive schemas—thought structures—influence what we notice and how the things we notice get interpreted.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

It also means that many criminal offenses hinge on attributing a wrongful act to the mental state of a human being.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

The Daily Star picks up on the latest Manchester City alleged financial misconduct saga, reporting that they are set to get a "huge" points deduction risking "relegation", attributing the details to "shock reports".

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

In psychoanalysis, projection involves attributing feelings, intentions, or qualities to someone else.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Optical stocks were hit especially hard in Monday’s action, with analysts attributing the moves in part to cautious commentary about AI spending.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

I described Dad’s symptoms, attributing them not to my father but to a fictive uncle.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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Related Words

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