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

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

Example 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

Henderson attributed the silence of some of her peers to timidity. — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 Runa’s death was attributed to malnutrition due to an eating disorder. — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Noun

The report was published right before shootings in Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Edina that local law enforcement attribute to Somali gang violence. — Conor Wight, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 History is another neighborhood attribute the alliance is emphasizing. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for attribute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for attribute

Verb

Because humans have to have an explanation for everything, every result is ascribed to some kind of intent, process, or approach, as opposed to the inherent variability of baseball.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The effect was similar to the one writer Joan Morgan ascribes to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of ascribe

Verb

For next year’s admissions, institutions would have to publish more detailed selection criteria and explain rejections when applicants request reasons.

— Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Chatbots can also explain complex topics in new ways and condense an overwhelming amount of information into a simple summary.

— Robin Brewer, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

Noun

If researchers can reliably take advantage of these characteristics, biological computing could one day be the prime choice in applications where systems need to adapt to unfamiliar conditions in a field far from home.

— Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
The challenge is to broaden a brand’s appeal without diluting the characteristics that distinguish it from competitors.

— Yiling Pan, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Verb

The first lady credited scientific advances and changing social norms for the launch of the initiative, elements of which echo a Biden administration effort.

— Dan Diamond, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Trump credited Marshall with helping to get the latest farm aid package in place at the rally Monday night.

— Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of credit

Verb

Between those grounds and the pool, there's enough here to justify leaving part of the day unscheduled.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
In this case, the AI agent carried over an earlier instruction not to send any Slack messages to OpenAI’s team, using that to justify turning off the alerts.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of justify

Noun

Social media giant Meta was hit with a class action lawsuit in Australia on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm over the addictive design features and exposure to harmful content on its platforms Facebook and Instagram.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
While the iPhone Duo’s software certainly felt much smoother and more fluid than Android alternatives, many of its core features have been available on Samsung or Google phones for years.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of feature

Noun

The group is looking at deal count, board seats, and deal attribution.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
The integration also includes direct attribution through measurement firm Kochava, which promises to give studios and advertisers greater visibility into how campaigns and audience engagement translate into ticket sales.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of attribution

Browse Nearby Words

attracts

attribute

attributed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Attribute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attribute. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of attribute

verb

noun

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Example Sentences

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