Synonyms of ascribe

ascribe

verb

ə-ˈskrīb 

as in to attribute

to explain (something) as being the result of something else

ascribed their stunning military victory to good intelligence beforehand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attribute
• impute
• credit
• blame
• refer
• lay
• accredit
• assign
• put down
• chalk up
• attach
• connect
• link
• pin (on)
• impute (to)
• associate
• charge
• father (on)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ascribe different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of ascribe are assign, attribute, credit, and impute. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

When could assign be used to replace ascribe?

The words assign and ascribe are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

How is attribute related to other words for ascribe?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

When would credit be a good substitute for ascribe?

Although the words credit and ascribe have much in common, credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

Where would impute be a reasonable alternative to ascribe?

While the synonyms impute and ascribe are close in meaning, impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ascribe

And there’s a kinship between modern medicine’s aim to ascribe psychiatric disorders to a handful of chemicals in our brains and the medical catchall of the four-humors framework of centuries past. —Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

The fact that people (including Gen Zers) overwhelmingly reject entering the machine reveals that humans ascribe fundamental value to authenticity. —Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025

Marco Rubio, then five days into his tenure as Secretary of State, ascribed the release of the prisoner to Trump’s leadership and, in a tweet, thanked Smith for facilitating it. —Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025

Poor luck plagued him, but ascribing all of this outing to misfortune is misguided. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2025