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Definition of attribute verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

attribute

verb
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːt/
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they attribute
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːt/
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːt/
he / she / it attributes
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːts/
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːts/
past simple attributed
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːtɪd/
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːtɪd/
past participle attributed
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːtɪd/
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːtɪd/
-ing form attributing
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːtɪŋ/
 
/əˈtrɪbjuːtɪŋ/
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  1. attribute something to something to say or believe that something is the result of a particular thing
    • She attributes her success to hard work and a little luck.
    • The power failure was attributed to the recent storms and high winds.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • directly
    • solely
    • largely
    preposition
    • to
    phrases
    • be commonly attributed to
    • be generally attributed to
    • be usually attributed to
    See full entry
  2. attribute something to somebody to say or believe that somebody is responsible for doing something, especially for saying, writing or painting something
    • This play is usually attributed to Shakespeare.
    • a quote that has often been falsely attributed to George Patton
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • directly
    • solely
    • largely
    preposition
    • to
    phrases
    • be commonly attributed to
    • be generally attributed to
    • be usually attributed to
    See full entry
  3. to regard a quality or feature as belonging to somebody/something
    • attribute something The committee refused to attribute blame without further information.
    • attribute something to somebody/something Ancient peoples attributed magical properties to the stones.
    • The goals commonly attributed to management are status, power, salary and security.
  4. Word Originlate 15th cent.: the noun from Old French attribut; the verb from Latin attribut- ‘allotted’: both from the verb attribuere, from ad- ‘to’ + tribuere ‘assign’.
See attribute in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee attribute in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
trait
noun
 
 
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