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

The county attributed the growth largely to greater demand for pollination services from maturing almond orchards. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Delays have been attributed to the complexity of the project and its scale—the building will be more than a hundred thousand square feet—and to a recent change in government. — News Desk, Artforum, 16 Oct. 2026

Noun

Within premium products, there is a focus on longevity attributes in skin care and elegant, sophisticated makeup products among mature middle-class consumers. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 The study also found that daughters’ caregiving more responsive than sons’ to their own and their parents’ attributes. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for attribute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for attribute

Verb

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
Her presence, too, is felt in the people who now inhabit the space, like her granddaughter Charley, 25, whose easy warmth recalls qualities long ascribed to the matriarch.

— Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of ascribe

Verb

An elephantine star becoming a black hole doesn’t explain it either.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Maybe this explains why Effective Altruism—the idea that generosity should be subjected to evidence and calculation—seemed counterintuitive.

— David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

Noun

Those characteristics can be particularly relevant to fashion distribution, where seasonal peaks, promotional periods and e-commerce demand can put intense pressure on fulfillment operations.

— Josh McMorrow, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Balls put in play with those characteristics are hits 84% of the time, per the league's Statcast page.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Verb

During his time at Dermalogica, Lis is credited with helping cement the brand’s position as a leader in the professional space, while also increasing its presence in select retail channels.

— Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
The single release is credited to Robyn’s Konichiwa label and Universal-Island, under exclusive license to Young.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of credit

Verb

The targeting of civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, particularly airports, illustrates the retaliatory logic the Houthis have invoked to justify their actions.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
There is always a new spectacle, a new gimmick to lure people into a theater and justify the cost of a ticket.

— Sam Fleischner, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of justify

Noun

The low-budget feature will mark Just’s directorial debut, and be the second in the new Dogma25 slate of ambitious arthouse features from producer Zentropa.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Produced by Emilie Lesclaux and Film at Lincoln Center, it was shot during the 2025 New York Film Festival, where the two directors were presenting their latest features, and grew out of conversations between them.

— Lise Pedersen, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of feature

Noun

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
The integration also enables direct attribution through Kochava, giving studios and advertisers greater visibility into how campaigns and audience engagement translate into ticket sales.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of attribution

Browse Nearby Words

attracts

attribute

attributed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Attribute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attribute. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of attribute

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on attribute

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes