contributory
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of contribution; contributing.
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furnishing something toward a result.
a contributory factor.
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of, relating to, or constituting an insurance or pension plan the premiums of which are paid partly by an employer and partly by employees.
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subject to contribution or levy.
noun
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contributories
plural
adjective
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(often foll by to) sharing in or being partly responsible (for the cause of something)
a contributory factor
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giving or donating to a common purpose or fund
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of, relating to, or designating an insurance or pension scheme in which the premiums are paid partly by the employer and partly by the employees who benefit from it
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liable or subject to a tax or levy
noun
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a person or thing that contributes
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company law a member or former member of a company liable to contribute to the assets on the winding-up of the company
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of contributory
1375–1425; late Middle English contributorie < Medieval Latin contribūtōrius. See contribute, -tory 1
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:
January saw another steep increase in overall input costs for service providers, and S&P Global said suppliers were reported to be raising prices, with tariffs again mentioned as a contributory factor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
Jim Williams shared that Adam Williams’ official cause of death was atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with obesity as a contributory factor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
Against the backdrop of recent kidnappings, governors and traditional chiefs from 19 northern states recently dubbed illegal mining a "major contributory factor to the security crises".
From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025
Incorrectly categorising risk was a contributory factor to the way French police treated Liverpool fans before the 2023 Champions League final in Paris.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025
It made me uneasy, as though the whole evening had been a trick of some sort to exact a contributory emotion from me.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Such power is not neutralized by our infirmities; it asserts itself under their limiting conditions and makes them its contributories.
From The Expositor's Bible: Ephesians by G. G. Findlay
He may be assisted, like a trustee in bankruptcy, by a committee of inspection, composed of creditors and contributories.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various
But no man can be truly blessed who has to find many contributories to make up his blessedness.
From Expositions of Holy Scripture: the Acts by Alexander Maclaren
In looking directly at the discomfort of long-term hospitalized psychiatric patients, I found myself faced with behaviors that resulted possibly from a muddle of many contributories.
From Humanistic Nursing by Josephine G. Paterson
The sentence, if true, was too severe; the offspring who were innocent contributories to the crime deserved pity rather than punishment; the judgment passed on the real offenders was also unduly harsh.
From America, through the spectacles of an Oriental diplomat by Tingfang Wu
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.
