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

Especially with three rookies as significant contributors. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026

Update to the latest version to see all Vogue content, as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz, Group Chats, and posts from Vogue contributors. —Leah Abrams, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026

Nick Kurczewski is a contributor at Edmunds. —ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026

Beauchamp, who is the Indiana TSA president, has become not only a leader for the Kougars (5-2) but also one of their most impactful contributors. —Noah Poser, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

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