SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

attribute

verb

To regard something as caused by or belonging to someone or something.

Compare the alternatives Definition and examples

Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Assign to a source

Closest synonyms

ascribe impute credit assign refer

Related words and expressions

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Impute often concerns blame; credit commonly concerns authorship or a favorable contribution.

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Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See attribute in use

The curator could not attribute the unsigned sketch to a particular artist.

Dictionary practice example.

Noor did not want anyone to attribute motives to her without asking.

From What Did the Message Mean?.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

WordNet 3.0: selected lexical senses

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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