attribution

noun at·tri·bu·tion \ ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən \

Definition of attribution

1 :the act of attributing something; especially :the ascribing of a work (as of literature or art) to a particular author or artist

2 :an ascribed quality, character, or right

Supernatural powers were attributions of the gods.

—

attributional

play \-sh(ə-)nᵊl\ adjective

Examples of attribution in a Sentence

a genuine respect for one another is one of the most commonly cited attributions of a happily married couple

Recent Examples of attribution from the Web

Three spoke on the record with attribution, while one source spoke on the condition of anonymity.

— joshua stewart, latimes.com, "Rep. Duncan Hunter gives President Trump a profane compliment," 28 Aug. 2017
Three spoke on the record with attribution, while one source spoke on the condition of anonymity.

— joshua stewart, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rep. Duncan Hunter gives President Trump a profane compliment," 28 Aug. 2017
In fact, by international comparison, the U.S. president is rather weak in his formal attributions and prerogatives.

— kurt weyland, Washington Post, "There are 4 big barriers to the populist model in America (and your democracy is safe)," 11 Aug. 2017
The risk of causal attribution may be said to exist in any research on factors associated with a medical condition, but avoiding it is of particular importance here because of the terrible burden on caretakers.

— Scientific American, "Readers Respond to the April 2017 Issue," 24 July 2017
Most of those attributions stand uncontested by scholars today - a tribute to the earlier scholar's eye.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Toledo Museum of Art hosts first solo show in 25 centuries on ancient Greek Berlin Painter (photos)," 23 July 2017
Another factor in deciding where to put a plant is identifying what each variety's key attribution is.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, "The Best Plant for Every Room in Your Home," 11 July 2017
The news continues to spin on without me, or attribution, or fact-checking.

— sarah stankorb, Vogue, "I Made Up Xennial 3 Years Ago, So Why Is a Professor in Australia Getting All the Credit?," 6 July 2017
Huette was the only one who agreed to speak for attribution.

— charlotte huff, Kaiser Health News, "Safe Under The ACA, Patients With Preexisting Conditions Now Fear Bias," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attribution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of attribution

see ¹attribute

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1598

See Words from the same year

attribution Synonyms

Synonyms

affection, attribute, characteristic, character, criterion, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait

Related Words

badge, indication, sign; emblem, symbol, token; charm, grace; excellence, merit, virtue; eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk; individuality, singularity, uniqueness

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Law Dictionary

attribution

noun at·tri·bu·tion \ ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən \

legal Definition of attribution

:a rule in tax law that in certain cases deems property owned by one person or business entity to be owned by another or others

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attribution

Definition of attribution

attributional

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Origin and Etymology of attribution

attribution Synonyms

Synonyms

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attribution

legal Definition of attribution

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attribution

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attributional

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