attribute (something) to (someone or something)

idiom

1

: to say that (something) is because of (someone or something)

He attributes his success to his coach.

His doctor attributes his health problems to a poor diet and a lack of exercise.

2

: to think of (something) as being a quality of (someone or something)

The study suggests that it is a mistake to attribute adult reasoning to children.

Is it right to attribute complex emotions to animals?

She attributed some importance to the research.

3

: to think of (something) as being made or created by (someone)

The poem is usually attributed to Shakespeare, but some scholars doubt that he wrote it.

Examples of attribute (something) to (someone or something) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, as of 2018, 13% of adults in the United States used antidepressants—and depression rates have soared since then, which some researchers largely attribute to the pandemic and its ripple effects. —Kayla Blanton, SELF, 19 Mar. 2024

More New Yorkers have stopped paying their property taxes — a troubling trend since the onset of the pandemic that city officials attribute to the end of a tax-lien sales program that punishes delinquency. —Martin Z. Braun, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024

While other states could count on population growth to fuel their economies, California lost people in 2023 for the third consecutive year, a trend that experts attribute to high housing cost, crime and the ability to work remotely since the onset of the pandemic. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024

During closing arguments Thursday, Miami-Dade assistant state attorney Natalie Snyder detailed the gruesome acts that jurors would attribute to Ewers. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024

The Mexican wolf reintroduction program has seen recent success in rebuilding a wild population, which AZGFD and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service attribute to strict rules like limiting the wolves to the recovery area. —Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024

Global estimates of independent vacation rental properties have soared in recent years, with more than 6.6 million properties spread across multiple popular platforms as of 2023, even as the short-term rental market undergoes a reconstruction analysts attribute to market saturation. —Joe Sills, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

However, when rumors abound regarding Pema’s pregnancy (which the gossipy townsfolk attribute to Dawa’s schoolteacher), news of Tasha abandoning his post reaches Pema, spurring on her journey across the rural landscape with Karma’s help. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024

Even China, where consumers have flocked to affordable EVs, is expected to report slower adoption in 2024, which analysts attribute to an uncertain economy. —Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 24 Jan. 2024