ascribe

verb

as·​cribe ə-ˈskrīb 

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

ə-ˈskrī-bə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• accredit
• attribute
• chalk up
• credit
• impute
• lay
• put down

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

To ascribe our woes to a society-wide attention-deficit disorder is to make the wrong diagnosis. —Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

His comments are reflective of an emerging understanding that ascribes the party’s shortcomings to voters’ dissatisfaction with pocketbook issues and the perception among the electorate that Democratic priorities were misplaced. —Noah Rothman, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024

If Ayden ascribed his own ability to learn, his intrinsic talents, to poverty and personal circumstance, simply being poor doesn’t account for his mechanical abilities. —Rachel Kushner, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

Freud was the proponent of etiology, a backward-looking theory that ascribes our behavior today to our shaping and forming early in life. —Tim Maurer, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing ascribe

• ascribe (something) to

Kids Definition

ascribe

verb

as·​cribe ə-ˈskrīb 

ascribed; ascribing

: to think of as coming from a specified cause, source, or author

a statement ascribed to Plato

ascribable

-ˈskrī-bə-bəl 

adjective