contributor

noun

con·​trib·​u·​tor kən-ˈtri-byə-tər 

-bə-,

-ˌbyü-

: someone or something that contributes something or that contributes to something

charitable contributors

… have suggested that the fee would hurt the agriculture industry, a sector they claim is the largest contributor to the state economy.

—Wenonah Hauter

… was illustrated by Oliver Munday, a frequent contributor to the Book Review …

—John Williams

These particles, which are known as black carbon and are the major component of soot, are the second most important contributor to global warming, behind only carbon dioxide, wrote the 31 authors of the study …

—Elisabeth Rosenthal

Examples of contributor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from dermatologists. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 28 Feb. 2025

Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Jennifer Coolidge's two-season arc as the star of The White Lotus came to a crushing halt at the end of Season 2, when her character, Tanya, met her demise in a brutal shoot-out. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

The natural witch hazel will help purify skin by removing bacteria and excess sebum, the biggest contributor to breakouts. —Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2025

Coinbase was a leading contributor to Republicans’ sweeping victory in November in its effort to help push forward a more crypto-friendly agenda in Washington, D.C. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contributour "person who pays a tax or assessment," borrowed from Anglo-French, "one who pays a share of a tax or fine," from Latin contribūt-, past participle stem of Latin contribuere "to give as a portion or share" + -our -or entry 1 — more at contribute

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contributor

• distributor