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

Each episode will end with the Safety Spotlight, a brief informative safety-tip that follows up on each day’s story delivered by the series’ own law enforcement safety contributor. —Peter White, Deadline, 27 June 2024

Janet Currie, the president of the Bank of America, Greater Maryland, was so impressed by Hathaway’s pitch for support that her company became a $500,000 contributor and plans to offer financial education services in the center. —Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2024

The global food system is a huge contributor to the climate crisis, producing around a third of greenhouse gas emissions. —Hanna Ziady, CNN, 26 June 2024

The United States, which pledged $300 million, remains the biggest financial contributor to date. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 June 2024

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