SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
impute
verb
To attribute a quality, action, or fault to someone.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Attribute to a source
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topImpute often assigns fault or motive; credit more naturally assigns something favorable.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See impute in use
Do not impute a hidden motive without evidence.
Soon afterward, a member wanted to denounce a newcomer for returning a borrowed tool with a visible crack in its handle. Before the group could impute the damage to him, the coordinator checked the checkout photographs and the earlier maintenance note.
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.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license