Thesaurus results for ATTRIBUTABLE

Q: How is the word 'attribute' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of attribute are ascribe , assign , credit , and impute . While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe , less definiteness than assign . // attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

Q: When might 'ascribe' be a better fit than 'attribute'?

The words ascribe and attribute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship. // forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

Q: In what contexts can 'assign' take the place of 'attribute'?

While in some cases nearly identical to attribute , assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation. // assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

Q: Where would 'credit' be a reasonable alternative to 'attribute'?

The words credit and attribute can be used in similar contexts, but credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation. // credited his teammates for his success

Q: When is 'impute' a more appropriate choice than 'attribute'?

Although the words impute and attribute have much in common, impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame. // tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

attribute 1 of 2

verb

ə-ˈtri-ˌbyüt

Definition of attribute next

as in to ascribe

to explain (something) as being the result of something else attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to explain

to give the reason for or cause of a psychotherapist who's a little too quick to attribute every emotional problem or character defect to an unhappy childhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

attribute

2 of 2

noun

ˈa-trə-ˌbyüt

as in characteristic

something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind list the attributes of a mammal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word attribute different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of attribute are ascribe, assign, credit, and impute. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

When might ascribe be a better fit than attribute?

The words ascribe and attribute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

In what contexts can assign take the place of attribute?

While in some cases nearly identical to attribute, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

Where would credit be a reasonable alternative to attribute?

The words credit and attribute can be used in similar contexts, but credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

When is impute a more appropriate choice than attribute?

Although the words impute and attribute have much in common, impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

Examples of attribute in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The agency also announced five new hospitalizations attributed to the outbreak, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 27 and the total number of cases to 90. —

James Powel, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Historian Keith Thomas attributes this change to a combination of factors, including the rise of Protestantism, the scientific revolution, and the emergence of capitalism as a new mode of organizing life and work. —

Tithi Bhattacharya / Made By History, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024

Noun

The prestigious list is based on a scoring system that includes dozens of attributes, including access to adventure, heritage, and resilience in the global economy—all of which were top categories for the North American country. —

Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024 But the entire exercise—the confusing guidelines, and the lack of clear articulation for why certain attributes of foods are worth avoiding—was weighing on me. —

Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for attribute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for attribute

Verb

Data collected in the late 1800s and early 1900s suggested different races have different lung capacities, a phenomenon researchers ascribed to innate biology rather than social, economic or environmental factors.

Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Only Keynesians ascribe an ability of governments to increase demand, but that’s to the everlasting discredit of Keynesianism.

John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024