attribute

Universal Words verb, noun verb [VN] 1 ~ sth to sth to say or believe that sth is the result of a particular thing: She attributes her success to hard work and a little luck. 2 ~ sth (to sb) to say or believe that sb is responsible for doing sth, especially for saying, writing or painting sth: The committee refused to attribute blame without further information. * This play is usually attributed to Shakespeare. attribution noun [U]: The attribution of this painting to Rembrandt has never been questioned. noun sth: Patience is one of the most important attributes in a teacher. * The most basic attribute of all animals is consciousness.