contributor

noun

con·​trib·​u·​tor kən-ˈtri-byə-tər 

-bə-,

-ˌbyü-

: someone or something that contributes something or that contributes to something

charitable contributors

… have suggested that the fee would hurt the agriculture industry, a sector they claim is the largest contributor to the state economy.

—Wenonah Hauter

… was illustrated by Oliver Munday, a frequent contributor to the Book Review …

—John Williams

These particles, which are known as black carbon and are the major component of soot, are the second most important contributor to global warming, behind only carbon dioxide, wrote the 31 authors of the study …

—Elisabeth Rosenthal

Examples of contributor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for The Today Show. —Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

The project cites the Suez Canal, an artificial canal built to connect the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, as a major contributor to invasive species around Malta. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025

The duo plan to launch Thursday with contributor Kieran Hickey-Semple, a TikTok creator and comedian. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025

The older generation’s tight grip on their Wall Street investments is also a major contributor. —Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contributour "person who pays a tax or assessment," borrowed from Anglo-French, "one who pays a share of a tax or fine," from Latin contribūt-, past participle stem of Latin contribuere "to give as a portion or share" + -our -or entry 1 — more at contribute

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contributor

• distributor