Thesaurus results for ATTRIBUTE

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 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 attribute

Verb

Prosecutors provided jurors with strong evidence of falsified business records, but proving that they could be attributed to Trump and charged as felonies was more difficult, relying heavily on witness testimony to shed light on the former president's involvement and intentions. —

Kyler Alvord, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025 Gannett stories will be attributed to the USA Today Network and the publishers that are a part of it. —

Sara Fischer, Axios, 2 Jan. 2025

Noun

McKinsey research indicates that companies with strong cultures emphasizing adaptability achieve better financial performance than those lacking such attributes. —

Stefano Carganico, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 While the category of soup is admittedly broad, spanning everything from pureed vegetable soups like butternut squash to chunky soups like ham and bean to thick and creamy soups like baked potato, stew and chowder are technically different dishes with unique attributes that set them apart. —

Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for attribute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for attribute

Verb

The wires came from shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Mauritius and ascribed the payments to the purchase of electronics, according to the news release.

Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2024
The list goes on, but one thing these social media sensations appear to have in common is that people seem to like to ascribe humanlike traits and emotions to them.

Chad de Guzman, TIME, 27 Dec. 2024