ascription
noun
as·crip·tion
ə-ˈskrip-shən 
1
: the act of ascribing : attribution
2
: arbitrary placement (as at birth) in a particular social status
Examples of ascription in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Do people ascribe race to robots and if so, does the ascription of race to robots affect people’s behavior towards them?
—
IEEE Spectrum, 17 July 2018
Today dishonest ascriptions of what biology is are being deployed to restrict women’s bodily autonomy, target LGBTQIA+ individuals broadly and, most recently, attack the rights of transexual and transgender people.
—Agustín Fuentes, Scientific American, 1 May 2023
The implicit and explicit patterns of numerical gender ascription were moderately correlated.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 4 Aug. 2017
Not actual perfection but the ascription of it to sundry acts of daily life.
—Paula Marantz Cohen, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022
Even if its intent were innocuous — to address inaccurate ascriptions to the Polish state for participating in an official capacity in Nazi crimes — the impact of this type of legislation is dangerous.
—Steny Hoyer, Time, 15 Mar. 2018
Black women who posit a feminism that exists for a purpose greater than the liberation of a single individual or gender ascription.
—Tunde Wey, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2017
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IEEE Spectrum, 17 July 2018
Today dishonest ascriptions of what biology is are being deployed to restrict women’s bodily autonomy, target LGBTQIA+ individuals broadly and, most recently, attack the rights of transexual and transgender people.
—Agustín Fuentes, Scientific American, 1 May 2023
The implicit and explicit patterns of numerical gender ascription were moderately correlated.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 4 Aug. 2017
Not actual perfection but the ascription of it to sundry acts of daily life.
—Paula Marantz Cohen, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022
Even if its intent were innocuous — to address inaccurate ascriptions to the Polish state for participating in an official capacity in Nazi crimes — the impact of this type of legislation is dangerous.
—Steny Hoyer, Time, 15 Mar. 2018
Black women who posit a feminism that exists for a purpose greater than the liberation of a single individual or gender ascription.
—Tunde Wey, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Ascription.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascription. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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ascription
noun
as·crip·tion
ə-ˈskrip-shən
: the act of ascribing : attribution
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