Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense ascribes, present participle ascribing, past tense, past participle ascribed
1. verb
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 baby's death to sudden infant death syndrome. [VERB noun + to]
Synonyms: attribute, credit, refer, charge More Synonyms of ascribe
2. verb
If you ascribe a quality to someone, you consider that they possess it.
[formal]
We do not ascribe a superior wisdom to government or the state. [VERB noun + to]
3. verb
If you ascribe something such as a quotation or a work of art to someone, you say that they said it or created it.
[formal]
He mistakenly ascribes the expression 'survival of the fittest' to Charles Darwin. [VERB noun + to]
ascribe in British English
(əˈskraɪb)
verb(transitive)
1.
to credit or assign, as to a particular origin or period
to ascribe parts of a play to Shakespeare
2.
to attribute as a quality; consider as belonging to
to ascribe beauty to youth
▶ USAGE Ascribe is sometimes wrongly used where subscribe is meant: I do not subscribe (not ascribe) to this view
Derived forms
ascribable (asˈcribable)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Latin ascrībere to enrol, from ad in addition + scrībere to write
ascribe in American English
(əˈskraɪb)
verb transitiveWord forms: asˈcribed or asˈcribing
1.
to assign (something) to a supposed cause; impute; attribute
2.
to regard (something) as belonging to or coming from someone
poems that were ascribed to Homer
SYNONYMY NOTE: ascribe, in this comparison, implies assignment to someone of something that may reasonablybe deduced [to ascribe a motive to someone]; attribute implies assignment of a quality, factor, or responsibility that may reasonably beregarded as applying [to attribute an error to carelessness]; impute usually implies the assignment of something unfavorable or accusatory [to impute evil to someone]; assign implies the placement of something in a particular category because of some quality,etc. attributed to it [to assign a poem to the 17th century]; credit implies belief in the possession by someone of some quality, etc. [to credit someone with intelligence]; attach implies the connection of something with something else as being appropriate to it[different people attach different meanings to words]
Derived forms
ascribable (asˈcribable)
adjective
Word origin
ME ascriben (also ascriven < OFr ascriv-, stem of ascrire) < L ascribere < ad-, to + scribere, to write: see scribe
Examples of 'ascribe' in a sentence
ascribe
She told them that nobody yet knew to whom the Will would ascribe them, but that if they came to her she'd happily give them away.
Clive Barker THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW (2001)
A Freudian might say it stems from infancy, a Marxist might ascribe it to social conditions later on.
Stewart, Michael GRACE (2001)
A blind woman had just regained her sight: did she really ascribe that to her own intervention?
Stewart, Michael GRACE (2001)
Yet society will ascribe a very low quality of life to poor, debilitated people, despite the fact that they are sometimes the most content.
French, Vivian &Fisher, Chris (illustrator) THE STAPLE STREET GANG: MANDY AND THE PURPLE SPOTTED HANKY (2001)
In other languages
ascribe
British English: ascribe VERB
If you ascribe an event or condition to a particular cause, you say or consider that it was caused by that thing.
I can only ascribe his jealousy to insecurity.
American English: ascribe
Brazilian Portuguese: atribuir
Chinese: 将…归因于
European Spanish: atribuir
French: attribuer
German: zuschreiben
Italian: attribuire
Japanese: ～のせいと見なす
Korean: ~의 탓으로 돌리다
European Portuguese: atribuir
Latin American Spanish: atribuir
(verb)
Definition
to attribute, as to a particular origin
Journalists ascribed voter apathy to distrust of the government.
Synonyms
attribute
They attribute their success to external causes such as luck.
credit
refer
charge
assign
Assign the letters of the alphabet their numerical values.
put down
set down
impute
It is unfair to impute blame to the employees.
Usage note
Ascribe is sometimes used where subscribe is meant: I do not subscribe (not ascribe) to this view of music.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of assign
Definition
to attribute to a specified cause
Assign the letters of the alphabet their numerical values.