contributor

noun

con·​trib·​u·​tor kən-ˈtri-byə-tər 

-bə-,

-ˌbyü-

: someone or something that contributes something or that contributes to something

charitable contributors

… have suggested that the fee would hurt the agriculture industry, a sector they claim is the largest contributor to the state economy.

—Wenonah Hauter

… was illustrated by Oliver Munday, a frequent contributor to the Book Review …

—John Williams

These particles, which are known as black carbon and are the major component of soot, are the second most important contributor to global warming, behind only carbon dioxide, wrote the 31 authors of the study …

—Elisabeth Rosenthal

Examples of contributor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 2017 book Self-Concept Clarity, contributors Kevin McIntyre, Brent Mattingly and Gary Lewandowski Jr. emphasize the importance of maintaining a whole sense of self while dating. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors + - d F m k j  What's Next The Winter Storm Watch could be upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning as confidence in the snowfall totals and impacts increases. —Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025

Each team’s key contributors Panthers The Panthers have gotten production from a large part of their roster during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, as 10 players have scored at least 10 points in the team’s 17 playoff games. —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2025

Riva Duncan is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. —Riva Duncan, Denver Post, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contributour "person who pays a tax or assessment," borrowed from Anglo-French, "one who pays a share of a tax or fine," from Latin contribūt-, past participle stem of Latin contribuere "to give as a portion or share" + -our -or entry 1 — more at contribute

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contributor

• distributor