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

The most famous contributor to this scientific history is Charles Darwin, best known for his theory of evolution by means of natural selection, less known for his work on the climbing abilities of plants. —Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026

Geoff Bennett is the co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour and serves as a contributor to NBC News. —Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

Here’s a closer look at some more key contributors. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026

Ultimately, with its emphasis on adaptability and ongoing on-site learning, Mbodi AI is positioning itself as a contributor to the industrial automation space, exploring ways to introduce software-like agility into physical operations. —Maria Williams, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026

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