Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To relate (something, usually something bad) to a particular cause or source; place the fault or responsibility for: synonym: attribute.
  • transitive verb To assign as a characteristic; credit.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To charge; attribute; ascribe; reckon as pertaining or attributable.
  • To reckon as chargeable or accusable; charge; tax; accuse.
  • To attribute vicariously; ascribe as derived from another: used especially in theology. See doctrine of imputation, under imputation.
  • To take account of; reckon; regard; consider.
  • Synonyms Attribute, Ascribe, Refer, etc. See attribute.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To charge; to ascribe; to attribute; to set to the account of; to charge to one as the author, responsible originator, or possessor; -- generally in a bad sense.
  • transitive verb (Theol.) To adjudge as one's own (the sin or righteousness) of another.
  • transitive verb rare To take account of; to consider; to regard.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To reckon as pertaining or attributable; to charge; to ascribe; to attribute; to set to the account of; to charge to one as the author, responsible originator, or possessor; -- generally in a bad sense.
  • verb transitive, theology To ascribe (sin or righteousness) to someone by substitution.
  • verb transitive To take account of; to consider; to regard.
  • verb transitive To attribute or credit to.
  • verb transitive To attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source
  • verb attribute or credit to

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English imputen, from Old French emputer, from Latin imputāre : in-, in; see in– + putāre, to settle an account; see pau- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French imputer, Latin imputare ("to bring into the reckoning, charge, impute").

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Examples

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  • Also to accuse.

    July 20, 2008