contribute

verb

con·​trib·​ute kən-ˈtri-(ˌ)byüt 

-byət,

 also and especially before -​ed or -​ing  -ˈtri-bət;

 chiefly British also  ˈkän-trə-ˌbyüt

contributed; contributing; contributes

1

transitive + intransitive : to give or supply (something, such as money or time) as a part or share

contribute money to a cause

contributed canned goods to the food drive

What percentage of your pay should you contribute to your 401(k)?

We'd like to thank all who contributed their time and effort.

I'm happy to attend, but I don't have much to contribute to the discussion.

Many people contributed to the fund-raising campaign.

If you are a parent, success is probably defined by how well your children turned out. Are they happy, successful adults? Do they contribute to society in a positive way?

—Bill Nordbrock

2

transitive + intransitive : to supply (something, such as an article) for a publication

He contributed several poems to the magazine.

The following authors contributed to this issue: …

3

intransitive : to play a significant part in making something happen

Many players have contributed to the team's success.

"We cannot address climate change without looking at all the components that are contributing to the problem of emissions."

—Tony de Brum

Synonyms

• chip in
• kick in
• pitch in

Examples of contribute in a Sentence

The volunteers contributed their time towards cleaning up the city.

We're trying to raise money for a new school, and we're hoping that everyone will contribute.

He did not contribute to the project.

In order for the team to win, everyone has to contribute.

He contributed many poems to the magazine.

Ten scientists contributed to the special edition of the journal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Relationships thrive when both parties contribute to keeping the connection alive. 3. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Times staff writer Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report. —Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

In Eau Claire, a small town in Wisconsin, Trump's visit in 2016 left the city with more than $47,000 in unpaid bills and Clinton's visit the same year with $6,800 in unpaid bills, contributing to the city's operating budget going over by nearly $62,000 that year. —Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024

While working out how much each curve would contribute to a trace phi cubed amplitude, the group came across curves that were unavoidable but that didn’t change the final answer. —Charlie Wood, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin contribūtus, past participle of contribuere "to join into one unit, unite, attach (to a polity or ruler for political or administrative purposes), give as a portion or share," from con- con- + tribuere "to share, apportion, grant, bestow" — more at tribute

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

contribute

verb

con·​trib·​ute kən-ˈtrib-yət 

-(ˌ)yüt

contributed; contributing

1

: to give along with others

contribute money to a cause

2

: to have a part in bringing about something

everybody contributed to the success of the show

3

: to submit articles to a publication

contributor

-yət-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

contribute

verb

con·​trib·​ute

contributed; contributing

transitive verb

: to make a contribution of

intransitive verb

: to make a contribution