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:
“Exports are still expected to contribute to growth.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Some vulnerable Republicans have cited campaign commitments, debates or family obligations, while others have complained privately about being asked to contribute at least $25,000 to attend.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
Cattle and other ruminant livestock contribute to climate change by releasing methane as they digest plants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The targeted website, DseWiki, is a Wikipedia-style site for programmers that its community can all contribute to.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
“As you know, we’re having our annual fundraiser soon, and I wanted to know if you’d contribute a piece of art for our auction.”
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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
The capital at Brighthouse’s captive reinsurance unit “looks low relative to investment risk,” Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analysts wrote in June, adding the clause about potential changes contributes to the deal’s “above average risk.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The Trojans are expected to play several freshmen against San José State on Saturday, and anyone who knows Boobie will tell you it’s only a matter of time before he contributes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Hasn’t it occurred to you that that’s exactly how Erastis contributes to the cause? By remaining in the Library, studying the Book?”
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Illness, injuries and fatigue also contributed at the final major of a demanding season.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
The acknowledgment comes after Reuters reported that Kennedy directed CDC Director Erica Schwartz to remove references to two Pennsylvania deaths from the agency’s national measles count after questioning whether the disease contributed to them.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
But slash-and-burn land-clearing practices also contributed to the damage, said David Gaveau, founder of the Nusantara Atlas.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
As economics majors, they started an investment club with two friends and contributed $500 each.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
He and Krause contributed money of their own, as they have consistently over the years.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Fick doesn’t expect that everyone pursuing Coast FI aims to quit their job and stop contributing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
The vast Southeast Asian archipelago has for weeks been fighting wildfires blanketing parts of Borneo and Sumatra with smog, with haze also contributing to air pollution in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
“There were no other contributing conditions, only exertion-related heat. This is not a coma, and the family is at his bedside praying for a miracle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
For farmers, dry soils have disrupted the growth of fruit and cacao trees as well as banana and coffee plants, contributing to crop losses.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
They talked on for a while, contributing reminiscences and offering suggestions as to what might have become of Grumman, though most of them thought he was probably dead.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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.
