Spanish word

atribuir

Pronunciation

IPA/atɾiˈβwiɾ/

Meaning

  • verbattribute

Example

Muchos atribuyen el problema a la falta de dinero.

Many people attribute the problem to a lack of money.

Illustration for atribuir (attribute)

More examples

No se puede atribuir el éxito solo a la suerte.

You cannot attribute success only to luck.

Core concept

Pointing to a person or thing as the cause of an event.

Common phrases

  • atribuir la culpa a

    attribute blame to

  • atribuir el éxito a

    attribute success to

  • atribuir responsabilidad a

    attribute responsibility to

Similar words

achacar: Attributes a problem to a specific circumstance or condition.
culpar: Blames a person or thing for an adverse result, stressing fault.
acusar: Accuses a person orally or officially of wrongdoing or an offense.

Definition in Spanish

Designar a alguien o algo como causa, origen o responsable de un hecho.

Word origin

From Latin attribuere (ad- 'to' + tribuere 'assign'), which developed into Spanish atribuir with the sense of assigning cause or responsibility.

Usage tips

  • To soften attribution Spanish often uses the passive 'se atribuye' or impersonal 'se dice que', while the reflexive 'atribuirse' means to claim credit.

Other meanings

  • blameverb
  • assignverb

Opposites

Related words

  • atribuciónattributionnoun
  • atribuibleattributableadjective

Word lists with this word