contribute
Americanverb (used with object)
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contributes,
present (3rd person singular)
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contributed,
past participle, past
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contributing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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contributes,
present (3rd person singular)
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contributed,
past participle, past
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contributing
present participle
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to give to a common supply, fund, etc..
He contributes to many charities.
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to furnish written works, drawings, etc., for publication.
Our thanks to those who contributed to our alumni newsletter.
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to be an important factor; help to cause something.
A sudden downpour contributed to the traffic jam.
verb
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to give (support, money, etc) for a common purpose or fund
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to supply (ideas, opinions, etc) as part of a debate or discussion
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(intr) to be partly instrumental (in) or responsible (for)
drink contributed to the accident
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to write (articles) for a publication
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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contributivenessnoun
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noncontributivenessnoun
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uncontributivenessnoun
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overcontributeverb
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precontributeverb (used with object)
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contributableadjective
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contributiveadjective
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noncontributableadjective
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noncontributingadjective
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noncontributiveadjective
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uncontributedadjective
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uncontributingadjective
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uncontributiveadjective
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contributivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contributesimple
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contributessimple
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have contributedperfect
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has contributedperfect
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am contributingprogressive
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are contributingprogressive
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is contributingprogressive
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have been contributingperfect progressive
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has been contributingperfect progressive
Past
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contributedsimple
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had contributedperfect
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was contributingprogressive
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were contributingprogressive
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had been contributingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing contribute
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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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:
“Everyone’s here for a reason. … Everyone knows about Omarion and Keaton. I think all guys can contribute at some point during the season.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
What remained unclear was how APOE4 produced these cellular changes and why they might contribute to memory problems later in life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Irving calls this decade a time to continue to contribute, and he’s living that credo.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
Losing muscle lowers resting energy expenditure, which can contribute to weight regain.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
The last example shows that verbs can be drained of life when they are turned into adjectives, too, as when contribute becomes contributive to or aspire becomes on the aspirational level.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
The Trojans are expected to play several freshmen against San José State on Saturday, and anyone who knows Boobie will tell you it’s only a matter of time before he contributes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
"This promotes production of the metabolite N1-acetylspermidine, which contributes to the ability of butyrate-treated IEC-conditioned medium to induce IL-10 production in CD4⁺ T-cells."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
The Almaraz plant, which contributes around seven percent of Spain's electricity production, is a key source of industry and employment in mostly rural, depopulated Extremadura.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Every inch of this house-shaped book contributes to the subtle spookiness of our tale, starting with the cover.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
In 2013, CCD contributes to the deaths of 60 percent of all hives.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Concerns about runaway capital spending spread across the sector after Alphabet’s and Tesla’s results, driving a $890 billion wipeout that contributed to the unwind of hedge fund Situational Awareness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Windy and unpredictable weather conditions have contributed to its spread.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The researchers also did not directly examine certain pathways involving inflammation or neuromuscular signaling, either of which could have contributed to the observed effects.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
Times staff writer Suzanne Rust contributed to this report.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The mouse-ear headband contributed to the effect considerably.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
The 4.4-year tide cycle also peaked during the 1982-83 El Niño, contributing to coastal flooding in California, according to a study published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography in 1985.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
TCS has been the group's cash cow, contributing to some 85% of cash flows, but is no longer the pillar of support it once was.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
As people get older, those connections can weaken, contributing to slower thinking and declines in memory.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
We’re wondering whether we should continue contributing to the 529 or start directing more money elsewhere.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Eleven hands—everybody contributing one except Mother and the babies—would emerge from both sides of the car; from the front seat, rear seat, and folding swivel chairs amidships.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
