contributor
Americannoun
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a person who contributes money, assistance, etc.
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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
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.
You want a husband who is responsible and is a net contributor to the relationship, financially and emotionally.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
Norah O’Donnell, already a contributor to the program, is also likely to have a larger presence.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Inflation for food, beverages and tobacco was the biggest contributor, she said.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
In a letter Jefferson wrote a year before his death, he named Locke a major contributor to the “American mind,” to which he gave expression in our founding document.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
I’m afraid I was a contributor to it.”
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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.
