English Reference

Word

attribute

Phoneticsat·tribute

/ˈætɹəbˌjut/

Definitions

01to credit a cause or author

B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic

v. to say that a particular person wrote something or that a specific cause made something happen.

v. to ascribe a work, remark, or event to a particular author, cause, or source. Transitive; typically takes the preposition 'to'.

“The museum experts attribute the unsigned painting to a famous Italian artist.”

“Climate scientists attribute the recent increase in extreme weather events to the long-term warming of the oceans.”

Usage

The verb is usually followed by an object and the preposition 'to'.

02a quality or feature

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic · Formal

n. a quality or characteristic that someone or something has.

n. a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.

“Patience is an essential attribute for anyone working as a primary school teacher.”

“The candidate's most impressive attribute is her ability to remain calm and analytical under intense public scrutiny.”

Teaching tip

Remind students that the noun is stressed on the first syllable (AT-tri-bute), unlike the verb.

03computing/programming

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a piece of information that describes a file or a part of a computer program.

n. a specification that defines a property of an object, element, or file in computing and markup languages.

“You can change the file attribute to 'read-only' so that nobody can edit it.”

“The developer added a new attribute to the HTML tag to ensure the image would scale correctly on mobile devices.”

04grammar

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Grammar Technical · Formal

n. a word, like an adjective, that describes a noun.

n. a word or phrase that modifies a noun, typically placed immediately before or after it.

“In the phrase 'the red car', the word 'red' is an attribute of the car.”

“The linguist analysed how the poet used cumulative attributes to build a vivid sense of place without using a single main verb.”

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “attribute” in context.

Verb

01. attribute to

“Historians attribute the manuscript to a monk living in the twelfth century.”

verb + prep

Adverb

02. directly attribute

“Scientists directly attribute the rise in sea levels to the melting of polar ice caps.”

adv + verb

03. largely attribute

“Economists largely attribute the market recovery to the new fiscal policies.”

adv + verb

04. solely attribute

“It is a mistake to solely attribute the success of the project to one individual.”

adv + verb

Real-World Examples

“The proportion reached a record 44.4% in the second quarter, with IIAC attributing the increase largely to growing numbers of visitors from China and Japan, according to local media.”
The Guardian 13 Aug 2026
“Attributing redundancies to AI, he adds, can make restructuring appear like technological progress rather than a response to market conditions.”
BBC News 4 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Latin attributus.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

attribute(C1)

Related words

Domains

ComputingGrammarLogicProgramming

This entry

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
Frequent
Level
C1 · AdvancedOxford
Updated

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