attribution
noun
at·tri·bu·tion
ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən 
plural attributions
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.
3
psychology
: the interpretive process by which people make judgments about the causes of their own behavior and the behavior of others
Psychologists have long documented what they call the fundamental attribution error, the tendency for people to explain human behavior in terms of the traits of individual actors, even when powerful situational forces are at work.—
Erica Goode
Erica GoodeExamples 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 on the Web
Like attribution, data aggregation has always been complex for businesses with smaller marketing budgets.
—John Readman, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
The smaller figure’s attribution was meant to say Nvidia.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 22 June 2025
With a fresh attribution to the famed British Romantic artist, the painting, now known as The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St. Vincent’s Rock, Bristol, is heading back to auction at Sotheby’s, where it is expected to fetch between roughly $270,000 and $400,000 on July 2.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025
Especially in performance marketing, where affiliate programs, attribution logic and performance optimization all run on technical fluency and human judgment.
—David Pickard, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for attribution
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John Readman, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
The smaller figure’s attribution was meant to say Nvidia.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 22 June 2025
With a fresh attribution to the famed British Romantic artist, the painting, now known as The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St. Vincent’s Rock, Bristol, is heading back to auction at Sotheby’s, where it is expected to fetch between roughly $270,000 and $400,000 on July 2.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025
Especially in performance marketing, where affiliate programs, attribution logic and performance optimization all run on technical fluency and human judgment.
—David Pickard, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for attribution
Cite this Entry
“Attribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attribution. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
attribution
noun
at·tri·bu·tion
ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən
: 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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