attribution

American  

[a-truh-byoo-shuhn] / ˌæ trəˈbyu ʃən /

noun

1. the act of attributing; ascription.

2. something ascribed; an attribute.

3. Numismatics. a classification for a coin, based on its distinguishing features, as date, design, or metal.

4. Archaic. authority or function assigned, as to a ruler, legislative assembly, delegate, or the like.

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Other Word Forms

• misattribution noun
• reattribution noun

Etymology

Origin of attribution

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin attribūtiōn-, stem of attribūtiō “assignment, an allotting”; attribute, -ion

Example Sentences

“This attribution challenge has paralyzed the international community’s response,” Jason Hsu, a former Taiwan legislator now at the Hudson Institute, recently told a U.S. legislative commission in written testimony.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

However, Ulmen's lawyers have rejected her characterisation of the situation and say no "unilateral attribution of blame" has been made towards their client.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

But he knows that, if a critic can’t draw enlightening connections, attribution is only a parlor game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

"We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world".

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

They often approached visitors as if they might be deities, possibly calculating, in the spirit of Pascal's wager, that the downside of an erroneous attribution of celestial power was minimal.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann