ascribe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to credit or assign, as to a cause or source; attribute; impute.
The alphabet is usually ascribed to the Phoenicians.
-
to attribute or think of as belonging, as a quality or characteristic.
They ascribed courage to me for something I did out of sheer panic.
verb
-
to credit or assign, as to a particular origin or period
to ascribe parts of a play to Shakespeare
-
to attribute as a quality; consider as belonging to
to ascribe beauty to youth
Usage
Ascribe is sometimes wrongly used where subscribe is meant: I do not subscribe (not ascribe ) to this view
Synonym Usage
See attribute.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has ascribedperfect 3rd person singular
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have ascribedperfect
-
have been ascribingperfect progressive
-
are ascribingprogressive
-
am ascribingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been ascribingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is ascribingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
ascribingparticiple
-
ascribessingular 3rd person
Past
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had ascribedperfect
-
had been ascribingperfect progressive
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were ascribingprogressive plural
-
was ascribingprogressive singular
-
ascribedparticiple
-
ascribedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of ascribe
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin ascrībere, equivalent to a- a- 5 + scrībere to scribe 2; replacing Middle English ascrive < Middle French. See shrive
Explanation
Ascribe means to give credit to, like if you ascribe the A you got on your group project to the hard work of your partners! Ascribe's Latin root is ascribere, meaning basically "to write in.'' Makes sense, because ascribe is often used to link writers to their words. Many a quirky quote, like "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter," is ascribed to that famous scribe Mark Twain. It can also be a way of blaming something — you might ascribe your bad attitude to your mom because she won't let you have cupcakes for dinner.
Vocabulary lists containing ascribe
The Write Stuff: Scrib, Script
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"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
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Jane Eyre
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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.
Nowadays, the group can hardly exert control of areas within Yemen itself, and again, the intelligence community in 2025 and 2026 can only ascribe “intent” to the group and not actual attacks.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
“With uncertainty regarding the supply picture looking ahead, we speculate investors may be less willing to ascribe a higher multiple even in light of an improved demand backdrop,” analysts wrote.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
And while a cursory examination of the film might ascribe that attribute to the public’s taste for poorly made, mid-tier trash, that conclusion would be wholly incorrect.
From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026
Analysts ascribe that partly to higher inflation and larger federal budget deficits but also to hopes for stronger economic growth—driven by private-sector investment in areas such as AI infrastructure and renewable energy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025
“Nonsense. You cannot ascribe emotions to a dybbuk.”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
