contribution

American  

[kon-truh-byoo-shuhn] / ˌkɒn trəˈbyu ʃən /

noun

1. the act of contributing.

2. something contributed.

   Synonyms:

   benefaction, donation, gift

3. an article, story, drawing, etc., furnished to a magazine or other publication.

4. an impost or levy.

5. Insurance. the method of distributing liability, in case of loss, among several insurers whose policies attach to the same risk.

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contribution British  

/ ˌkɒntrɪˈbjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act of contributing

2. something contributed, such as money or ideas

3. an article, story, etc, contributed to a newspaper or other publication

4. insurance a portion of the total liability incumbent on each of two or more companies for a risk with respect to which all of them have issued policies

5. archaic a levy, esp towards the cost of a war

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Other Word Forms

• contributional adjective
• noncontribution noun
• overcontribution noun
• precontribution noun
• supercontribution noun

Etymology

Origin of contribution

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English contribucio(u)n, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin contribūtiōn-, stem of contribūtiō “payment, distribution,” literally, “a bringing together,” equivalent to contribūt(us) “brought together” (past participle of contribuere; contribute ) + -iō -ion

Explanation

When you make a contribution, it means you're giving something away — whether it's your money, your possessions, or your time. A contribution can take many forms. Some contributions are measurable, like a $10 donation to the Salvation Army. Others are less tangible. When a student raises his hand in class to ask a question, he's making a contribution, because the answer to his question enriches the other students' learning experience.

Example Sentences

Only 1.2 million, or about a quarter, of them qualify for the $1,000 federal seed contribution for eligible children.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Perhaps their greatest contribution was championing smallpox inoculation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

It added that a joint mission between the children's charity Unicef, the World Health Organization and the regional healthcare department had highlighted "the role of unregulated private practices" and "the contribution of unscreened blood transfusions".

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Reuters reported that officials want consumption to account for a larger share of GDP over the next five years and said its contribution to economic growth should rise steadily by 2030.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

“Indeed. My contribution will be to lend an ear to the story from this velvet chaise by the far window.”

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• addition
• donation
• grant
• improvement
• increase
• input