DictionaryRoot: ad-
Latin

ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

  • ad-
  • ac- — Used before c in Latin.
  • af- — Used before f in Latin.
  • ag- — Used before g in Latin.
  • al- — Used before l in Latin.
  • ap- — Used before p in Latin.
  • ar- — Used before r in Latin.
  • as- — Used before s in Latin.
  • at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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verb

attribute

To regard something as caused or produced by a particular person or thing.

She attributes the team's success to careful preparation and mutual trust.

Etymology

Latin ad- and tribuere express assigning something to someone. Attributing a result assigns its cause or authorship to a particular person or thing.

More examples

  • The museum attributed the painting to a local artist.
  • Doctors are still attributing the symptoms to several possible causes.
  • Do not attribute every mistake to lack of effort.

Forms

attribute · attributes · attributed · attributing

attribution noun — The identification of a source or cause.

Similar words

ascribe
Is a close, often more formal alternative for assigning a source.
credit
Usually assigns responsibility for a positive result.