Word
ascribe
Phoneticsas·cribe, stress on the second syllable
US/əsˈkɹaɪb/
UK/ɐskɹˈaɪb/
Definition
v. to say that a quality, a cause, or a responsibility belongs to someone or something. You use this when you want to explain why something happened or who is responsible for it.
v. to attribute a quality, cause, or responsibility to a person or thing. Transitive — requires a direct object and often takes a prepositional phrase to indicate the source of the quality.
Examples
“Many people ascribe the success of the team to the coach.”
“The researchers ascribe the sudden drop in sales to the recent economic downturn rather than poor marketing.”
“While some critics ascribe the author's later works to a decline in mental health, others argue that the shift in style reflects a deliberate artistic evolution.”
Examples
simple
“Many people ascribe the success of the team to the coach.”
contextual
“The researchers ascribe the sudden drop in sales to the recent economic downturn rather than poor marketing.”
complex
“While some critics ascribe the author's later works to a decline in mental health, others argue that the shift in style reflects a deliberate artistic evolution.”
Real-World Examples
“Komiks enjoyed a heyday after World War II, which Reyes ascribes in part to “writers’ desire to juxtapose the idealized world of the komiks against the misery and despair” around them.” “I have lost count of the number of times students gawk at examples of scientists from history who were spiritual, not secular, without ascribing a value judgment to their belief systems.” Etymology
From Middle English ascriben, from Old French ascrivre (“inscribe, attribute, impute”), from Latin āscrībere (“to state in writing”), equivalent to a- + scribe.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/ascribe