Contribute vs. Attribute — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 30, 2023
"Contribute" means to give or supply in common with others, while "Attribute" is to regard as resulting from a specific cause or origin.
Difference Between Contribute and Attribute
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
If a group of people "Contribute" to a community project, they all play a part or provide resources to ensure the project's success. On the other hand, if a person "Attributes" a team's success to good leadership, they believe the leadership was the primary factor in the team's achievement.
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Sep 30, 2023
Overall, while "Contribute" is about giving and participating, "Attribute" revolves around identification and explanation.
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Sep 30, 2023
When someone chooses to "Contribute" to a cause, they decide to offer something, be it time, money, or resources, to aid or enhance that cause. Meanwhile, to "Attribute" something to a cause means to identify or assign that cause as the reason or source of the specific event or situation.
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Sep 30, 2023
"Contribute" typically signifies an act of giving, adding, or supplying, often within a collective context. In contrast, "Attribute" suggests assigning a particular cause or origin to something, pinpointing a source or reason for its existence.
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Sep 30, 2023
To "Contribute" is to actively participate or give. It's a proactive verb suggesting an offering or addition. "Attribute" is more analytical, used when trying to find or explain the cause or origin of something, making sense of why it exists or occurred.
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Sep 30, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Usage
Refers to a tangible or intangible addition.
Often used to find the source or cause of something.
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Sep 30, 2023
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Definitions
Contribute
To supply for publication.
She contributes articles to the local newspaper.
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Sep 30, 2023
Attribute
To regard as resulting from a specified cause.
He attributed his success to hard work.
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Sep 30, 2023
Contribute
To add to something in order to improve it.
The volunteers contribute their time and energy.
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Sep 30, 2023
Attribute
A quality or feature of a person or thing.
Her best attribute is her determination.
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Sep 30, 2023
Contribute
To play a significant part in making something happen.
Several factors contributed to his success.
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Sep 30, 2023
Attribute
To explain something by indicating a cause.
She attributed the quote to Shakespeare.
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Sep 30, 2023
Contribute
To have a part in bringing about an end result.
His research contributed to the discovery.
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Sep 30, 2023
Attribute
To credit something to someone.
The song is attributed to the band's lead singer.
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Sep 30, 2023
Contribute
To give or supply in common with others; give to a common fund or for a common purpose.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
To regard as arising from a particular cause or source; ascribe
Attributed their failure to a lack of preparation.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
To submit for publication
Contributed two stories to the summer issue.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
To regard (a work, for example) as belonging to or produced by a specified agent, place, or time
Attributed the painting to Titian.
Attributed the vase to 18th-century Japan.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
A quality or characteristic inherent in or ascribed to someone or something.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
To help bring about a result; act as a factor
Exercise contributes to better health.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
An object associated with and serving to identify a character, personage, or office
Lightning bolts are an attribute of Zeus.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
(Grammar) A word or phrase syntactically subordinate to another word or phrase that it modifies; for example, my sister's and brown in my sister's brown dog.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
(ambitransitive) To give something that is or becomes part of a larger whole.
To contribute money to a church fund
To contribute articles to a journal
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
A characteristic or quality of a thing.
His finest attribute is his kindness.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
To give or grant i common with others; to give to a common stock or for a common purpose; to furnish or suply in part; to give (money or other aid) for a specified object; as, to contribute food or fuel for the poor.
England contributes much more than any other of the allies.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
An object that is considered typical of someone or some function, in particular as an artistic convention.
The eagle and the bolt of lightning are attributes of Jove.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
To give a part to a common stock; to lend assistance or aid, or give something, to a common purpose; to have a share in any act or effect.
We are engaged in war; the secretary of state calls upon the colonies to contribute.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
To give or use one's power or influence for any object; to assist.
These men also contributed to obstruct the progress of wisdom.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
(logic) That which is predicated or affirmed of a subject; a predicate; an accident.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
Bestow a quality on;
Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company
The music added a lot to the play
She brings a special atmosphere to our meetings
This adds a light note to the program
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
An option or setting belonging to some object.
This packet has its coherency attribute set to zero.
A file with the read-only attribute set cannot be overwritten.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
(programming) A semantic item with which a method or other code element may be decorated.
Properties can be marked as obsolete with an attribute, which will cause the compiler to generate a warning if they are used.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
Be conducive to;
The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
A numeric value representing the colours of part of the screen display.
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Mar 17, 2018
Contribute
To give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something.
She decided to contribute $500 to the charity.
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Sep 30, 2023
Attribute
To associate ownership or authorship of (something) to someone.
This poem is attributed to Browning.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
To ascribe; to consider (something) as due or appropriate (to); to refer, as an effect to a cause; to impute; to assign; to consider as belonging (to).
We attribute nothing to God that hath any repugnancy or contradiction in it.
The merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
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.
But mercy is above this sceptered away; . . .It is an attribute to God himself.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
A conventional symbol of office, character, or identity, added to any particular figure; as, a club is the attribute of Hercules.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
Quality, etc., denoted by an attributive; an attributive adjunct or adjective.
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
A construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished;
Self-confidence is not an endearing property
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
Attribute or credit to;
We attributed this quotation to Shakespeare
People impute great cleverness to cats
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
Decide as to where something belongs in a scheme;
The biologist assigned the mushroom to the proper class
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Mar 17, 2018
Attribute
A symbol or term representing a property or characteristic.
In grammar, singular is an attribute of nouns.
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Sep 30, 2023
FAQs
Does Contribute always refer to money?
No, contribute can refer to giving time, resources, ideas, or any other form of assistance.
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Sep 30, 2023
How is Attribute used in a sentence?
Attribute can mean to regard something as being caused by something else or can refer to a quality or feature of something.
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Sep 30, 2023
What does Contribute mean?
Contribute means to give or supply, often within a collective context.
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Sep 30, 2023
What's the opposite of Attribute?
In terms of assigning blame or credit, "deny" can be an opposite.
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Sep 30, 2023
Is contributing passive?
No, to contribute is an active process of giving or adding.
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Sep 30, 2023
Can you attribute success to contributions?
Yes, one can say that contributions from team members attributed to the project's success.
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Sep 30, 2023
Can a person be attributed with a quality?
Yes, for example, one might attribute honesty to a trustworthy individual.
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Sep 30, 2023
Can Attribute mean a characteristic?
Yes, an attribute can refer to a quality, feature, or characteristic of a person or thing.
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Sep 30, 2023
How are Contribute and Attribute related in terms of cause?
Contribute is about providing or adding to a cause, while Attribute is about assigning or identifying a cause.
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Sep 30, 2023
Is to contribute the same as to donate?
While similar, donate typically refers to giving money or goods for a good cause, whereas contribute has a broader meaning.
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Sep 30, 2023
When would one use Attribute over Contribute?
Use Attribute when identifying a cause or source and Contribute when discussing giving or adding.
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Sep 30, 2023
Is every attribute positive?
No, an attribute simply refers to a characteristic or feature, which can be positive, negative, or neutral.
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Sep 30, 2023
Are contributions always positive?
Not necessarily. One can contribute to a problem, meaning they are part of the cause.
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Sep 30, 2023
Can one attribute feelings to someone?
Yes, for example, one might attribute feelings of sadness to someone experiencing a loss.
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Sep 30, 2023
Author Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content editor at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
