imputation
AmericanEtymology
Origin of imputation
1535–45; < Late Latin imputātiōn- (stem of imputātiō ), equivalent to Latin imputāt ( us ) past participle of imputāre to ascribe, impute + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Imputation is the attributing of actions to a source: often, imputation involves actions that are criminal. Imputation takes words or actions and ties them to a person or a cause. An imputation is when you say "He did it!" Imputations are therefore similar to accusations. Often, this word relates to imputations of dirty deeds, especially illegal deeds. "My brother stole the car" is an imputation. "The butler killed the maid" is an imputation. Imputations place blame, usually for something very wrong indeed. This word is often used in legal situations, when imputations are part of testimony.
Vocabulary lists containing imputation
Othello
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The Merchant of Venice
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Oliver Twist
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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.
In court on Wednesday, Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed the case, saying the imputation that MacInnes had changed her story about the incident was not defamatory.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Vector Casa de Bolsa said it “categorically rejected any imputation that compromises its institutional integrity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025
A 1919 Supreme Court ruling declared that a pardon "carries an imputation of guilt and acceptance of a confession of it."
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2023
It was a family name, but if there’s anyone who can forgive a fanciful imputation of significance, it is Philip K. Dick.
From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2022
“I know something of Mr. Lloyd; I shall write to him; if his reply agrees with your statement, you shall be publicly cleared from every imputation; to me, Jane, you are clear now.”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
