contribute
Americanverb (used with object)
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contributes,
present (3rd person singular)
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contributed,
past participle, past
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contributing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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contributes,
present (3rd person singular)
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contributed,
past participle, past
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contributing
present participle
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to give to a common supply, fund, etc..
He contributes to many charities.
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to furnish written works, drawings, etc., for publication.
Our thanks to those who contributed to our alumni newsletter.
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to be an important factor; help to cause something.
A sudden downpour contributed to the traffic jam.
verb
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to give (support, money, etc) for a common purpose or fund
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to supply (ideas, opinions, etc) as part of a debate or discussion
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(intr) to be partly instrumental (in) or responsible (for)
drink contributed to the accident
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to write (articles) for a publication
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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contributivenessnoun
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noncontributivenessnoun
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uncontributivenessnoun
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overcontributeverb
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precontributeverb (used with object)
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contributableadjective
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contributiveadjective
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noncontributableadjective
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noncontributingadjective
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noncontributiveadjective
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uncontributedadjective
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uncontributingadjective
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uncontributiveadjective
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contributivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contributesimple
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contributessimple
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have contributedperfect
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has contributedperfect
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am contributingprogressive
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are contributingprogressive
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is contributingprogressive
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have been contributingperfect progressive
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has been contributingperfect progressive
Past
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contributedsimple
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had contributedperfect
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was contributingprogressive
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were contributingprogressive
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had been contributingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing contribute
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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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:
The new fund has also been designed to contribute to nature recovery across the county, while addressing unequal access to nature.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
He hopes to meaningfully contribute to the regrowth of burned Altadena.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
“Unlike lifesaving, and mandated, technologies like air bags, seat belts, electronic stability control and headlights, analog AM radio does not contribute to motor vehicle safety,” Bozzella said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Variants that appeared more frequently among patients were considered more likely to contribute to the condition.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Did she really think Dimple had nothing valuable to contribute besides her looks?
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Perhaps their focus on health contributes to the generation being less inclined to suffer through such extreme conditions.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
While some are being reworked by zama zamas, many are filled with acidic water that contributes to sinkholes, said mining expert David van Wyk.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 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
"This promotes production of the metabolite N1-acetylspermidine, which contributes to the ability of butyrate-treated IEC-conditioned medium to induce IL-10 production in CD4⁺ T-cells."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Rue contributes a big handful of some sort of starchy root to the meal.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Xu from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Connie Yan and Wallace Marshall from the University of California San Francisco also contributed to the work.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Aaron Watkins apologised on behalf of Officer 3 and accepted his conduct "undoubtably" contributed to the courts and parties involved being misled, but denied it had been the result of dishonesty.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Lower oil prices contributed to the brighter market mood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But he added some of the features that make the model reliable may have contributed to the crash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
“Yes. This was Helen’s baby. I contributed very little, but she had a great idea.”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
After paying your non-negotiable costs like rent and bills, contributing to your retirement and emergency savings accounts, and paying down debt, how much do you have left?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Bowman believes one significant factor contributing to supervisory inaction was a long-standing culture of risk aversion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Cancer cells may exploit this survival mechanism, potentially contributing to tumors that return in a more aggressive and treatment-resistant form.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
There was little evidence the trust's breast unit was contributing to MDTs, and decisions about patients' cases were being made based on the unchallenged opinion of individual surgeons, according to the RCS report.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Thank you, once more, for contributing to this urgent cause.
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
