# ascribe

/əsˈkɹaɪb/ (US) · /ɐskɹˈaɪb/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ascribe
Updated: 2026-05-28

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.