attribution

noun

at·​tri·​bu·​tion ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən 

plural attributions

1

: the act of attributing something

especially : the ascribing of a work (as of literature or art) to a particular author or artist

2

: an ascribed quality, character, or right

Supernatural powers were attributions of the gods.

3

psychology : the interpretive process by which people make judgments about the causes of their own behavior and the behavior of others

Psychologists have long documented what they call the fundamental attribution error, the tendency for people to explain human behavior in terms of the traits of individual actors, even when powerful situational forces are at work.

—Erica Goode

attributional

ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• affection
• attribute
• character
• characteristic
• criterion
• diagnostic
• differentia
• feature
• fingerprint
• hallmark
• mark
• marker
• note
• particularity
• peculiarity
• point
• property
• quality
• specific
• stamp
• touch
• trait

Examples of attribution in a Sentence

a genuine respect for one another is one of the most commonly cited attributions of a happily married couple

Recent Examples on the Web

Through strategic partnerships with first and third-party data providers, Influential enables exclusive targeting and measurement solutions, including both online and offline attribution, such as sales lift, TV tune-in lift, foot traffic, and eComm sales. —Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, German media company Axel Springer, which owns Business Insider and Politico, has a similar deal that also provides attribution in answers given by ChatGPT. Subscribe to the Eye on AI newsletter to stay abreast of how AI is shaping the future of business. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

This story was updated to include attribution to The Spokesman-Review in one paragraph. —Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2024

Russian state news broadcasts largely ignored or cast doubt on the ISIS attribution, and commentators focused on trying to blame Ukraine. —Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024

Examples of attribution models and how value is assigned: • Last Click: This model attributes all conversion values to the last interaction. —Jenya Edelberg, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

But for older academics, subjecting work to the software’s level of scrutiny could well reveal attribution errors — intentional or not — that have never come to light before. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024

What becomes more powerful as the story of his life progresses, however, is the media’s fixation on Vandross’ weight, and subsequent, sensationalist attributions of its fluctuations to unanswered questions about his sexuality. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 21 Jan. 2024

Last month, the conservative activist Christopher Rufo and the journalist Christopher Brunet accused then–Harvard President Claudine Gay of having copied short passages without attribution in her dissertation. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see attribute entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Legal Definition

attribution

noun

at·​tri·​bu·​tion ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən 

: a rule in tax law that in certain cases deems property owned by one person or business entity to be owned by another or others