attributes 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of attribute
1
as in ascribes
to explain (something) as being the result of something else attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force

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2
as in explains
to give the reason for or cause of a psychotherapist who's a little too quick to attribute every emotional problem or character defect to an unhappy childhood

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attributes

2 of 2

noun

plural of attribute

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of attributes
Verb
Michael Sutton, a redevelopment coordinator of no relation to Fran Sutton, attributes the vastness of the land bank, particularly in northeast Wyandotte, to 20th century redlining and southward and westward flight of the county’s white, wealthy and middle class families. Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025 The virtual care company also attributes its AI rollout as a major driver in growth. Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 But Kraus, who studies gambling disorders, attributes the growing popularity of parlays less to the users, and more to the sportsbooks. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025 The Science History Institute even attributes the first viable synthetic fiber to helping the Allies win World War II. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Oct. 2025 Merkerson attributes her many successful years working with Wolf to his loyalty. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 Disney attributes the price hikes to enhancing guest experiences and providing industry-leading wages for cast members. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 8 Oct. 2025 Chief Humphrey attributes the positive trends to improved officer morale and a clearer departmental vision. Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025 Dan Campbell attributes some of it to a short week, coming off a Monday night game. Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
Her personality evolves on her 13th birthday, heightening her witchy attributes. Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025 Forgery is also about persuasion, and certain forgeries have specific attributes. JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025 Other attributes make the Lions’ offense difficult to stop, too. Jesse Newell, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 Bitcoin brings a different but equally powerful set of attributes. Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 Those two attributes have helped keep the snakehead population under control. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 One circuit and the Federal Circuit took the position that Crocs described as a more expansive view to include actions over intangible attributes such as patents, which address the source of ideas for a particular invention. Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2025 Those attributes — earning Piccioli a reputation in fashion as one of its great romantics — were also apparent in his designs for Balenciaga, which incorporated plenty of thoughtful details that referenced the archive. Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025 One of Lipa’s most significant attributes is the husky tone of her mezzo-soprano, lending a gritty roughness to her songs’ pop polish. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributes
Verb
  • This breakup analysis ascribes no value to the companies being under the same corporate parent.
    Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The below-ground theme park, as historian Ashleigh Androsoff explains, offers tours purporting to tell two local stories.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Star Andrew Garfield explains why the characters make things worse for themselves.
    Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dæmons seem to be an outward manifestation of the complex nature of humans that encompasses, male, female and animalistic characteristics that hint towards the breaking of gender binaries and the possibilities of interspecies relations.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Skye herself has almost no distinguishing characteristics besides her fragile state and propensity for terrible decisions, especially as the investigation around her boyfriend’s death kicks into gear.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 2025 theme for this year’s challenge was thriller and suspense, in which Novicki credits the submissions for exploring different pathways into the horror genre and showcasing individuals with various disabilities throughout their filmmaking.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
  • When Haidt credits mothers for driving the phone-free movement, the crowd, which has reached a standing-room-only capacity, erupts into applause.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The same qualities are critical in today’s workplace.
    Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Liverpool may be transitioning their style of play, but Szoboszlai has offered Alexander-Arnold-like qualities from right-back.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.
    Khloe Quill , Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
  • But Sellers hasn’t translated all those traits into consistent production.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The actor had previously met success with the first film in Netflix's The Kissing Booth series, but his searing performance as the nervy, brooding jock Nate Jacobs was among the most potent features that made Euphoria a water cooler hit.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
  • OpenAI, for example, has acknowledged that safety features can degrade during longer chats.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This post was corrected on 21 January 2021 to clarify attributions.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Jan. 2021

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Cite this Entry

“Attributes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributes. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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