contribution
Americannoun
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the act of contributing.
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something contributed.
- Synonyms:
- benefaction, donation, gift
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an article, story, drawing, etc., furnished to a magazine or other publication.
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an impost or levy.
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Insurance. the method of distributing liability, in case of loss, among several insurers whose policies attach to the same risk.
noun
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the act of contributing
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something contributed, such as money or ideas
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an article, story, etc, contributed to a newspaper or other publication
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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
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archaic a levy, esp towards the cost of a war
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
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.
The current SEP IRA contribution limit for individuals over 50 is the lesser of 25% of compensation or $72,000, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
He shot the new movie on an iPhone, for one thing, even as he questions the smartphone’s contribution to our easy disengagement with the world’s ills.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
He added that many Syrian refugees had made a major contribution in Germany but that most wanted to return home, where they would play an important role in rebuilding Syria in the years ahead.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Another day this month, Lurie disclosed a contribution from Google and one from a descendant of a local 20th-century dehydrated-potato-product fortune.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Before long the guys began to understand the contribution that I was able to make when I had the answers to the questions that allowed me to think on their level.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
