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Synonyms

contribute

American

[kuhn-trib-yoot] / kənˈtrɪb jut /

verb (used with object)

to give (money, time, knowledge, assistance, etc.) to a common supply, fund, etc., as for charitable purposes.

Synonyms:

donate, furnish, provide
to furnish (an original written work, drawing, etc.) for publication.

to contribute stories to a magazine.

verb (used without object)

to give to a common supply, fund, etc..

He contributes to many charities.
to furnish written works, drawings, etc., for publication.

Our thanks to those who contributed to our alumni newsletter.
to be an important factor; help to cause something.

A sudden downpour contributed to the traffic jam.

contribute British

/ kənˈtrɪbjuːt /

verb

to give (support, money, etc) for a common purpose or fund
to supply (ideas, opinions, etc) as part of a debate or discussion
(intr) to be partly instrumental (in) or responsible (for)

drink contributed to the accident
to write (articles) for a publication

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of contribute

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin contribūtus, past participle of contribuēre “to bring together”; see origin at con-, tribute

Explanation

To contribute something is to provide a part of the whole. When your company has their annual softball game and potluck picnic, you will probably be asked to contribute a dish, like your famous macaroni salad. Contribute comes from a Latin word that means “to bring together, add, or unite.” When you contribute to a cause, you are adding to what other people have kicked in, which makes the effort complete. You can contribute your singing talent to a traveling a cappella group; you can contribute money or time to save rhinoceroses; you can contribute cupcakes to the gymnastics team bake sale; or you can even contribute ideas on healthcare reform to a Washington think tank.

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Vocabulary lists containing contribute

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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:

contribute contributes contributed contributing

“I love this land and I want to contribute to it, which is why I see myself as Taiwanese.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

More than just describing a new animal, the study shows how Brazilian paleontology continues to contribute to our understanding of central chapters in the history of life on Earth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Mourinho views Alexander-Arnold as different from many traditional full-backs because of his ability to move into central areas and contribute to attacks from midfield positions.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Health officials urged vigilance, as warm overnight temperatures will contribute to heat stress for those without air conditioning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

It’s not a lot, but maybe I could contribute.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

The court also heard that he contributes to a website, easily found online, which claims he is innocent.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Romanticizing extreme thinness contributes to eating disorders, which can do serious damage to the health of sufferers.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Its acceleration, however, has received far less scrutiny, even though it directly contributes to the fireball's rapid expansion.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

So if the employee contributes 3%, the employer does, too, but a contribution of 4% still gets only a 3% match.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Obviously, the environment or the milieu that surrounds an organism contributes to its physical attributes.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

He contributed some big moments and chipped in with his biggest return in front of goal with six strikes in the campaign.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

A rise in flock sizes, larger breeds and steady beef demand have contributed to a poultry surplus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Double Eagle contributed a sprawling water system and associated royalties to the venture that birthed EagleRock and is involved in its growth plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

AP writer Hend Kortam in Cairo contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Features of American wild plants also contributed to the lesser competitiveness of Native American food production.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Instead of contributing in his club's top-flight return, his development continued with a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday, where he became a fan favourite and drew links to Arsenal.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

This led to a deeper look into other factors contributing to wrongful convictions, including prosecutorial misconduct and mistaken eyewitness identifications, especially those made by witnesses with different racial backgrounds from the suspects.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Eventually, he said, he was contributing weekly columns to Sp!ts, a free commuter newspaper in Amsterdam, chronicling his growing infatuation with the sport.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

The lack of new labor supply could be contributing to a shortage of labor, at least in some industries such as leisure and hospitality.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Perhaps the self- righteous Trotter would be put into jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023