Synonyms of impute

impute

verb

im-ˈpyüt 

as in to ascribe

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

people often impute his silence to unfriendliness and not to the shyness it really represents

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of impute are ascribe, assign, attribute, and credit. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

When can ascribe be used instead of impute?

The synonyms ascribe and impute are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

When is assign a more appropriate choice than impute?

The meanings of assign and impute largely overlap; however, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

How is attribute related to other words for impute?

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 impute?

The words credit and impute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of impute

The percent of owners raising and planning to raise prices (and wages) are too high to reach that 2% inflation rate for goods and services whose prices are market determined (not imputed like rent etc.). —William Dunkelberg, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

In a speech delivered Wednesday in Paris, Governor Christopher Waller had a more optimistic take on inflation, saying that imputed, or estimated, prices that feed into inflation data are keeping rates high, while observed prices are showing moderation. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025

For a 1,500 mile flight, for example, only about $400 of income would be imputed under what’s known as the Standard Industry Fare Level (SIFL) rate. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Ascribing higher salaries to paperwork-heavy jobs, such as those of banking and environmental compliance personnel, would impute a considerably higher paperwork burden cost. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

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