Ascribe definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

If you ascribe an event or condition to a particular cause, you say or consider that it was caused by that thing. [formal]. An autopsy eventually ascribed the ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Video LearnEnglish Videopronunciations Buildyourvocabulary Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'ascribe'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× ascribe (əskraɪb ) Wordforms:3rdpersonsingularpresent tenseascribes ,presentparticipleascribing ,pasttense,pastparticipleascribed 1. verb Ifyouascribeaneventorconditiontoaparticularcause,yousayorconsiderthatitwascausedbythatthing. [formal]Anautopsyeventuallyascribedthebaby'sdeathtosuddeninfantdeathsyndrome.[VERBnoun+to] Synonyms:attribute,credit,refer,charge MoreSynonymsofascribe 2. verb Ifyouascribeaqualitytosomeone,youconsiderthattheypossessit. [formal]Wedonotascribeasuperiorwisdomtogovernmentorthestate.[VERBnoun+to] 3. verb Ifyouascribesomethingsuchasaquotationoraworkofarttosomeone,yousaythattheysaiditorcreatedit. [formal]Hemistakenlyascribestheexpression'survivalofthefittest'toCharlesDarwin.[VERBnoun+to] COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof ascribe Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'ascribe' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'ascribe' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'likeaCheshirecat' HindiTranslationof'ascribe' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency ascribeinBritishEnglish (əˈskraɪb ) verb(transitive)1. tocreditorassign,astoaparticularoriginorperiod toascribepartsofaplaytoShakespeare 2. toattributeasaquality;considerasbelongingto toascribebeautytoyouth ▶ USAGEAscribeissometimeswronglyusedwheresubscribeismeant:Idonotsubscribe(notascribe)tothisviewCollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformsascribable(asˈcribable)adjective WordoriginC15:fromLatinascrīberetoenrol,fromadinaddition+scrīberetowrite WordFrequency ascribeinAmericanEnglish (əˈskraɪb ) verbtransitiveWordforms:asˈcribedorasˈcribing1.  toassign(something)toasupposedcause;impute;attribute 2.  toregard(something)asbelongingtoorcomingfromsomeone poemsthatwereascribedtoHomer SYNONYMYNOTE:ascribe,inthiscomparison,impliesassignmenttosomeoneofsomethingthatmayreasonably bededuced[toascribeamotivetosomeone];attributeimpliesassignmentofaquality,factor,orresponsibilitythatmayreasonablybe regardedasapplying[toattributeanerrortocarelessness];imputeusuallyimpliestheassignmentofsomethingunfavorableoraccusatory[toimputeeviltosomeone];assignimpliestheplacementofsomethinginaparticularcategorybecauseofsomequality, etc.attributedtoit[toassignapoemtothe17thcentury];creditimpliesbeliefinthepossessionbysomeoneofsomequality,etc.[tocreditsomeonewithintelligence];attachimpliestheconnectionofsomethingwithsomethingelseasbeingappropriatetoit [differentpeopleattachdifferentmeaningstowords]Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformsascribable(asˈcribable) adjective WordoriginMEascriben(alsoascriven