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
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.
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 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascription
noun
as·crip·tion
ə-ˈskrip-shən
: the act of ascribing : attribution
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share