ascribe

verb

as·​cribe ə-ˈskrīb How to pronounce ascribe (audio)
ascribed; ascribing

transitive verb

: to refer to a supposed cause, source, or author : to say or think that (something) is caused by, comes from, or is associated with a particular person or thing
These poems are usually ascribed to Homer.
They ascribe most of their success to good timing and good luck.
She ascribes no importance to having a lot of money.
ascribable adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for ascribe

ascribe, attribute, assign, impute, credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing.

ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

Examples of ascribe in a Sentence

ascribed their stunning military victory to good intelligence beforehand
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The nation’s 2014 coup d’etat was commonly ascribed to a desire by the nation’s elites to micromanage the transition to King Vajiralongkorn. Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 June 2025 The event drew filmmakers, actors, cinephiles, woodworkers, all fans who could be described in labels ascribed to Lynch himself. Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 June 2025 This inertia can be partially ascribed to the company revising its full-year revenue growth outlook to 7% to 9%, a reduction from its earlier estimate of 7% to 11%. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 However, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur doesn’t ascribe to the notion that Love regressed from Year 1 to Year 2 as the starter. Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ascribe

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ascribere, from ad- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ascribe was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ascribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascribe. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

ascribe

verb
as·​cribe ə-ˈskrīb How to pronounce ascribe (audio)
ascribed; ascribing
: to think of as coming from a specified cause, source, or author
a statement ascribed to Plato
ascribable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on ascribe

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