attribute

attribute
at•trib•ute
v. [[t]əˈtrɪb yut[/t]] n. [[t]ˈæ trəˌbyut[/t]] v. -ut•ed, -ut•ing, n.
1) to regard as resulting from a specified cause:
She attributes his bad temper to ill health[/ex]
2) to consider as a quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc., indicated:
to attribute intelligence to one's colleagues[/ex]
3) to regard as made or produced by or originating in the person, time, place, etc., indicated:
to attribute a painting to an artist[/ex]
4) a quality, character, characteristic, or property attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc
5) fia an object associated with a character, office, or quality, as the lion skin of Hercules
6) gram. a subordinate word or phrase that serves to limit, particularize, or supplement the meaning of another: In the red house, red is an attribute of
house[/ex]
at•tri•bute Etymology: 1350–1400; ME < L attribūtus, ptp. of attribuere to allot, assign, attribute at•trib′ut•a•ble, adj. at•trib′ut•er, at•trib′u•tor, n. syn: attribute, ascribe, impute mean to assign something to a definite cause or source. Possibly because of an association with tribute, attribute often has a complimentary connotation: to attribute one's success to a friend's encouragement. ascribe is used in a similar sense, but has a neutral implication: to ascribe an accident to carelessness. impute usu. means to attribute something dishonest or discreditable to a person; it implies blame or accusation: to impute an error to a new employee. See also quality

From formal English to slang. 2014.

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  • attribute — at‧tri‧bute [ˈætrɪbjuːt] noun [countable] 1. MARKETING a characteristic, feature, or quality of a product: • In selling cars, product quality and product attributes are complex. 2. STATISTICS a quality that people in a group either have or do not …   Financial and business terms

  • Attribute — At tri*bute, n. [L. attributum.] 1. That which is attributed; a quality which is considered as belonging to, or inherent in, a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic. [1913 Webster] But mercy is above this sceptered …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • attribute — I verb accredit with, adsignare, ascribe, assign, charge with, connect with, consider as belonging to, impute, point to, predicate, set down to, tribuere associated concepts: attribute a cause to an individual II index ascribe …   Law dictionary

  • Attribute — At*trib ute ([a^]t tr[i^]*b[=u]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Attributed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Attributing}.] [L. attributus, p. p. of attribuere; ad + tribuere to bestow. See {Tribute}.] To ascribe; to consider (something) as due or appropriate (to); to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Attribute — sind überhaupt alle, einer Person oder Sache beigelegten Eigenschaften. In der bildenden Kunst ist Attribut fast gleichbedeutend mit Symbol (s. d. Art.) oder Sinnbild. Die Attribute sind zweifacher Natur: wesentliche und willkürliche. Die Fackel… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • attribute — n 1 *quality, property, character, accident 2 emblem, *symbol, type Analogous words: *sign, mark, token, badge, note: *character, symbol, sign attribute …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • attribute — [n] feature aspect, character, characteristic, facet, idiosyncrasy, indication, mark, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, quirk, sign, speciality, symbol, trait, virtue; concepts 411,673,834 attribute [v] ascribe, assign… …   New thesaurus

  • attribute — ► VERB (attribute to) ▪ regard as belonging to or being caused by. ► NOUN 1) a characteristic or inherent quality or feature. 2) an object that represents a person, status, or office. DERIVATIVES attributable adjective attribution noun …   English terms dictionary

  • attribute — [ə trib′yo͞ot; ] for n. [ a′trə byo͞ot΄] vt. attributed, attributing [< L attributus, pp. of attribuere, to assign < ad , to + tribuere, to assign < tribus: see TRIBE] 1. to set down or think of as belonging to, produced by, resulting… …   English World dictionary

  • attribute to — index blame Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • attribute to — attribute (something) to (someone) to say that someone else was responsible for creating something. Any quotation included in your writing has to be attributed to the person who originally wrote it. Usage notes: usually said about a piece of… …   New idioms dictionary

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