contribution

American  

[kon-truh-byoo-shuhn] / ˌkɒn trəˈbju ʃən /

noun

contributions plural

1. the act of contributing.

2. something contributed.

   Synonyms:

   benefaction, donation, gift

3. an article, story, drawing, etc., furnished to a magazine or other publication.

4. an impost or levy.

5. Insurance. the method of distributing liability, in case of loss, among several insurers whose policies attach to the same risk.

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contribution British  

/ ˌkɒntrɪˈbjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act of contributing

2. something contributed, such as money or ideas

3. an article, story, etc, contributed to a newspaper or other publication

4. insurance a portion of the total liability incumbent on each of two or more companies for a risk with respect to which all of them have issued policies

5. archaic a levy, esp towards the cost of a war

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncontribution
  noun
• overcontribution
  noun
• precontribution
  noun
• supercontribution
  noun
• contributional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contributions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of contribution

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English contribucio(u)n, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin contribūtiōn-, stem of contribūtiō “payment, distribution,” literally, “a bringing together,” equivalent to contribūt(us) “brought together” (past participle of contribuere; see contribute) + -iō -ion

Explanation

When you make a contribution, it means you're giving something away — whether it's your money, your possessions, or your time. A contribution can take many forms. Some contributions are measurable, like a $10 donation to the Salvation Army. Others are less tangible. When a student raises his hand in class to ask a question, he's making a contribution, because the answer to his question enriches the other students' learning experience.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contribution contributions

Invention, not automation, will be the greatest contribution of superintelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

In October 2026, a new wave of cuts to CalFresh will decrease the federal government’s contribution to CalFresh from 50% to 25%, leaving a larger portion of costs to states, counties and regional organizations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

That’s four times the average contribution per quarter since 2000.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

As the European contribution decreased, the US share of the funding rose.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Here, Courtney, is your contribution to the anthology of my life.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

OTTAWA—Canada will abandon efforts to compel foreign streamers to make mandatory financial contributions to the domestic entertainment industry, according to a court filing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Still, the director’s contributions for the most part supported the underlying emotional drama, which, in lesser musical and theatrical hands, can be flattened into an evening of empty display.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Japan and Germany though have a mandatory long-term care insurance system which is funded through contributions from workers and employers.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Going forward, you could automate contributions to your emergency fund indefinitely, so the reserve is always growing.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

And by the end of it, we had contributions from families and schools all around the globe.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• addition
• donation
• grant
• improvement
• increase
• input