attribute
gb/ˈætɹɪbjˌut/ us/ˈætɹɪbjˌut/
B1
English
~ 4400
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
say something is caused by
To say or think that someone or something is the reason for something happening.
Usage pattern:
to attribute [something] to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'attribute' with 'contribute'; 'attribute' means to say the cause, while 'contribute' means to help make something happen.
Synonyms
ascribe (Slightly more formal; often used in academic or literary contexts.)
|
credit (Often used when giving positive recognition for an achievement.)
Antonyms
blame (Focuses on holding someone responsible in a negative sense.)
Collocations
attribute success to
|attribute failure to
|attribute cause to
|attribute responsibility to
Themes
communication
|reasoning
|cause-effect
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She attributes her success to hard work and determination.
- The decline in sales was attributed to poor marketing.
- He attributes his good health to regular exercise and a balanced diet.
- Many historians attribute the invention to multiple inventors working independently.
Learner examples
- I attribute my good grades to my teacher.
- They attribute the accident to bad weather.
- We attribute our win to teamwork.
Noun
B1
entity
2
quality or feature of something
A quality or part of a person or thing.
Synonyms
trait (Commonly used for personal qualities, especially in psychology.)
|
characteristic (Neutral term for a distinguishing feature.)
Antonyms
flaw (A negative feature or imperfection of someone or something.)
Collocations
positive attribute
|key attribute
|personal attribute
|unique attribute
Themes
description
|characteristics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Patience is an important attribute for a teacher.
- The car's most impressive attribute is its fuel efficiency.
- Honesty is a valuable attribute in a friend.
Learner examples
- Kindness is a good attribute.
- The phone's best attribute is its camera.
- Tall height is an attribute of basketball players.
Grammar
Dictionary form
attribute
IPA
GB/ˈætɹɪbjˌut/
US/ˈætɹɪbjˌut/
Syllables & stress
at - trib - ute (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (at)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: attribute
- Plural: attributes
Verb
- Base: attribute
- 3rd Person Singular: attributes
- Present Participle: attributing
- Past: attributed
Word family
Forms
attributes
noun
attributing
verb
attributed
verb
Core family
attribution
noun C1
attributable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unattributed
adjective
misattribute
verb
Advanced or less common
attributive
adjective C1
Expressions
attribute to
1/ˈætɹɪbjˌut tə/
fixed phrase
identify cause or source
To say that something happened because of someone or something.
Examples
- Police attributed the accident to driver fatigue.
- She attributes her happiness to spending more time with family.