ascribe

verb

as·​cribe ə-ˈskrīb How to pronounce ascribe (audio)
ascribed; ascribing

transitive verb

: to refer to a supposed cause, source, or author : to say or think that (something) is caused by, comes from, or is associated with a particular person or thing
These poems are usually ascribed to Homer.
They ascribe most of their success to good timing and good luck.
She ascribes no importance to having a lot of money.
ascribable adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for ascribe

ascribe, attribute, assign, impute, credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing.

ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

Examples of ascribe in a Sentence

ascribed their stunning military victory to good intelligence beforehand
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Columbia University Apartheid Divest ascribed the crackdown to outside pressure. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2025 Some conservative Christian stay-at-home moms homeschool their children, and some don’t, Du Mez noted, while some Mormon families may ascribe to tradwife-style values but hold very different religious beliefs from evangelicals or Catholics. Anna North, Vox, 27 Feb. 2025 Some Democratic officials ascribed the party’s hesitation and confusion in part to a lack of clarity from their voters. Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025 Argentines have become experts at ascribing outsized importance to their country and its socio-cultural figures, from football players to politicians. Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ascribe

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ascribere, from ad- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ascribe was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ascribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascribe. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

ascribe

verb
as·​cribe ə-ˈskrīb How to pronounce ascribe (audio)
ascribed; ascribing
: to think of as coming from a specified cause, source, or author
a statement ascribed to Plato
ascribable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on ascribe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!