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

While Ron provided depth for the Celtics, Dylan quickly emerged as a key contributor for the Spurs, helping lead the franchise to the 2026 NBA Finals less than a year after being drafted. —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026

For example, the tariff on vehicles made in both countries is 25%, substantially lower than the cumulative 125% rate for Chinese EVs, but still a cost contributor. —Bob Woods, CNBC, 6 June 2026

One major contributor, the docuseries seems to argue, is the downfall of the prosecution at the hands of its own witnesses. —Los Angeles Times, 5 June 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. —Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 4 June 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