contributor
Americannoun
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contributors
plural
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a person who contributes money, assistance, etc.
-
a person who contributes an article, story, etc., to a newspaper, magazine, or the like.
noun
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a person who contributes, esp one who writes for a newspaper or one who makes a donation to a cause, etc
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something that is a factor in or is partly responsible for something
alcohol was a contributor to his death
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of contributor
1400–50; late Middle English contributour < Anglo-French. See contribute, -tor
Explanation
A contributor is someone who takes part in something or makes a contribution. Writers and people who donate money in particular are called contributors. Writers whose work is included in a book, magazine, or newspaper are called contributors. Some have specific titles like "contributing editor" or "contributing writer." If you give money for a cause or a company, that contribution also makes you a contributor. This word is used mainly for writing and donating, but it can be used in other cases for people who help with something. The surest way not to be called a contributor is to do nothing: contributors have to contribute.
Vocabulary lists containing contributor
"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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"CLEP Principles of Management," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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"The American Pageant," Vocabulary from Chapters 40-42
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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:
The only other running back on the roster besides Lloyd and Johnson is Chris Brooks, who served primarily as a blocking back and special teams contributor last season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
As Slate contributor Richard Hasen explained here, the truth is more complicated and far more speculative.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
In seven of the last 11 quarters, including estimates for the second quarter, Nvidia has been the biggest contributor to S&P 500 earnings growth, according to data from Seaport Research.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
The Monsters collection, which includes the jagged-tooth, gremlin-looking plush toys, were still the biggest revenue contributor, accounting for about a quarter of overall sales in the first half, down from roughly one-third a year earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
She concludes the list with, “And of course we thank our anonymous contributor of, ahem, supplies, for the Home Help Sanitation Initiative.”
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
The question is more complicated for outside contributors like Mr. Druckenmiller.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Several contributors felt parents were largely responsible for finding information themselves, with one DfE study, external showing requests to defer school entry were more common among families from more advantaged backgrounds.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
The service is promising to give users the opportunity to interact with the network’s roster of contributors and analysts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Second-quarter earnings so far might be among the strongest on record — but companies like retailers and hotels haven’t been major contributors to the blowout performance.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
The minister he was assisting, he wrote, had turned the parish calling over to him: it was a wealthy congregation and large contributors expected frequent and unhurried visits from the clergy.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
