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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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Vocabulary lists containing contribute

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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

Nvidia has built several open models, including a family called Nemotron, and earlier this year started a coalition with several AI labs to contribute to open models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Kennedy confirmed Trump supports further study while also saying his department is investigating a broader range of potential environmental factors that may contribute to autism.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026

Voters can feel as though their votes matter less, and it may contribute to negative public opinion about how the electoral system functions, Latner said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

All these factors contribute to older homeowners remaining in their own homes and to the unavailability of their homes for younger home buyers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

“The name of our charity is the L & J Fund, Mr. Pignati, and we’d like to know if you’d care to contribute to it? It would really be a very nice gesture, Mr. Pignati.”

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

Welbeck's 132 runs in behind show he still stretches defences, but he also contributes clean, simple link play.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

So if the employee contributes 3%, the employer does, too, but a contribution of 4% still gets only a 3% match.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

“The combination of quitting smoking, plus exercise plus a healthy diet all contributes to better lung function,” Lee says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

As this toxic protein moves from one neuron to another, it contributes to the worsening of symptoms over time.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

Remember that science never actually “proves” anything; it merely contributes to a growing body of evidence about the way our world works.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

City Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Heather Hutt also contributed, though in smaller denominations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

The refunds widened profit and contributed to management’s guidance raise, as Newell expects to receive the cash refund in the second half of the year, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Professor Yashashree Kulkarni and her PhD student Anand Mathew from the University of Houston also contributed to the project.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

"Sometimes you walk away from a session and people are surprised that you contributed, that you had ideas," says Douglas.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

I wonder, too, how many lies cell phones have contributed to the world.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

Staggering losses from fuel theft are among the many factors contributing to Pemex’s perpetually debt-plagued status.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

The Texas Newsroom obtained autopsies for prisoners named in the litigation, and three of those reports named heat as a contributing factor in the deaths.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

The concept loosely resembles the way molten rock travels through cracks in Earth's crust before contributing to volcanic eruptions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

That lack of confidence is probably contributing to her poor performance, says Lindsay Boccardo, a Generation-Z career coach who focuses on leadership.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

These, under high magnification, turn out to be bacteria, living in symbiosis with the spirochetes and the protozoan, probably contributing enzymes that break down the cellulose.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

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