contributor
Americannoun
-
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
-
something that is a factor in or is partly responsible for something
alcohol was a contributor to his death
Other Word Forms
- contributorial adjective
- noncontributor noun
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.
She retired from The Wall Street Journal in 2016 and is now a freelance contributor to WSJ special reports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Methane, the second-biggest contributor to climate change, is spewing into the atmosphere from the oil and gas industry, landfills and dairy farms.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
It also provided $450m in grants and aid to Sri Lanka - making it by far the largest contributor.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Americans over 75 are the fastest-growing age group, he noted, and “in 2025, healthcare spending was the largest single contributor to consumption growth.”
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
“And now we turn to regular contributor Royal, for an update on how the new Wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
