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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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

Together, the studies create a major new resource for researchers and provide fresh opportunities to investigate how changes in genome organization contribute to development, aging, and disease, including neurodegenerative disorders.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

So the Higginbothams canceled the coverage and opened up a high-yield savings account, to which they contribute $65 a month.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The project also involves training local anglers and boat skippers to tag sharks too, so that they can contribute to the work.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

“I want to make money and I want to contribute to the family, but there’s literally no way I can do that. I can’t even keep the house in order,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

They sang softly, though, so that their music would contribute to the quiet, not destroy it.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

Perhaps their focus on health contributes to the generation being less inclined to suffer through such extreme conditions.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, contributes a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrialised nations.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Scientists are still working out exactly how much each factor contributes, but the result is clear: the background climate in which British weather happens is getting warmer.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

One familiar example is the decline in ovarian function that contributes to the biological clock associated with female fertility.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

In a round, everyone contributes equally in terms of melody.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

In addition to this study, Dr. Ren contributed as a co-corresponding author or co-author on three other Science papers examining genome architecture across different cell types and timescales.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

A dearth of available homes contributed to cutthroat competition and soaring home prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

"Those additional steps could have contributed to recovering the children sooner," it found.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Between them they yielded eight and a half points, compared with five contributed by America's three captain's picks.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

This cumulative sadness contributed to his not wanting to be with people...unless he felt highly secure and comfortable with them.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

With this benefit, companies are able to put matching retirement funds into a worker’s account, even if the worker isn’t contributing but is paying back student loans instead.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Australian scientists believe increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are shifting sharks' migratory patterns, which may be contributing to a rise in attacks.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

"Fires release carbon, nitrogen and sulphur back into the atmosphere, in itself contributing to climate change," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Their analysis suggests that water had traveled far beneath the surface before contributing to the formation of magma that fed volcanoes resembling those found around the Pacific "Ring of Fire" today.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

In 2015, only 11.1 percent was born in Europe, contributing to the creation of a new face of America.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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