contribution

American  

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

noun

• contributions
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contributions
  plural

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; see 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

See Examples For:

contribution contributions

In 2002, Nelson received an MBE for his contribution to the Millennium Volunteers programme.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

A-Baki was the face of a failed plan to prevent oil exploitation in an Amazon reserve in exchange for a hefty international contribution.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

According to Mr. Vance, people should aim to find their purpose and a sense of contribution that extends beyond economic efficiency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Convert before the full RMD is out and the amount that should have been RMD becomes an excess contribution to the Roth, which is an unpleasant thing to unwind.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Brusilov’s victory was the one successful contribution to the joint Allied offensive in 1916.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Meanwhile, contributions to traditional accounts were often tax-deductible and came with a company match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

It’s budgeted, capped, and it doesn’t touch retirement contributions or emergency savings.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

South Korea has reviewed "practical military contributions" it could make, while taking into account its defence readiness and domestic legal procedures, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

‘Yes, his contributions to entertainment will be long remembered and enjoyed, but his gifts to children will likely have no end,’ writes an L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Amid the voluminous chaff, two contributions stand out.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

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