Thesaurus results for IMPUTE

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

Some common synonyms of impute are ascribe , assign , attribute , and credit . While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame. // tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

Q: When can 'ascribe' be used instead of 'impute'?

The synonyms ascribe and impute are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship. // forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

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

The meanings of assign and impute largely overlap; however, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation. // assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

Q: How is 'attribute' related to other words for 'impute'?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe , less definiteness than assign . // attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

Q: When would 'credit' be a good substitute for 'impute'?

The words credit and impute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

impute

verb

im-ˈpyüt

Definition of impute next

as in to ascribe

to explain (something) as being the result of something else people often impute his silence to unfriendliness and not to the shyness it really represents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of impute are ascribe, assign, attribute, and credit. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

When can ascribe be used instead of impute?

The synonyms ascribe and impute are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

When is assign a more appropriate choice than impute?

The meanings of assign and impute largely overlap; however, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

How is attribute related to other words for impute?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

When would credit be a good substitute for impute?

The words credit and impute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impute Refreshingly, Hill and Gaddy refrain from imputing motives to Putin. —

Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2015 With its decision, the court has ruled that legal gun ownership can’t be used to impute unlawful intentions, a powerful assertion of gun rights in Florida. —

Silas Morgan, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024 The rest of what Trump did involved ostensibly legitimate actions (e.g., exhorting state and federal officials to probe possible election fraud) that Biden Justice Department prosecutors have been trying for years to turn into crimes by imputing corrupt intent. —

Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 13 Jan. 2024 The opinions expressed are solely his and should not be imputed to any other individual nor to any public or private entities. —

Mitchell Berger, STAT, 11 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for impute