to attribute

Examples

• All

• Scientists attribute this water shortage to the lack of rainfall the last two years.

  V for Vendetta (2006)

• His head was bursting with a headache that he attributed to stress and anger.

  Fiction book (1991)

• Then you say to what do you attribute your great success?

  Film Courage

• So to what do you attribute that shift?

• Again, I attribute much of who I am to my mom.

  Harvard University

• And so we both attribute the success to the relationship.

• I attribute this mostly to your lack of team mark.

  Los Angeles (2021)

• Whatever nervousness or uncharacteristic behavior they saw in me, they attributed to the current tragic situation.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Many experts attribute the rise in global temperatures to human activity.

• He attributed his failure on the exam to inadequate preparation.

Synonyms

A

to assign

vsto attribute

47 3.2

Say that a person or cause made something

is broader, covering cause or belonging not only giving credit

A

to ascribe

vsto attribute

35 6.8

Think that something is caused by a person or thing

is more neutral and used in everyday speech

I

to impute

vsto attribute

• Formal

11 8.7

To blame a person or thing for something bad, often without proof

is more neutral and does not imply blame or unfairness

P

to put down to

vsto attribute

6 4.8

To say that something happened because of a particular reason

also covers ownership or belonging, not only cause

How Certain

to establish

• Formal

319 4.1

to blame

∞ 1.6

to attribute

228 3.8

to suggest

∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

Etymology