attribute meaning
attribute :
quality, feature
noun
▪ Honesty is a good attribute.
▪ Honesty is a good quality.
▪ Her kindness is a rare attribute.
▪ Her kindness is a rare feature.
paraphrasing
▪ trait – quality
▪ characteristic – feature
attribute :
to assign, to credit
verb
▪ They attribute the success to hard work.
▪ They credit the success to hard work.
▪ The teacher attributed the mistake to lack of practice.
▪ The teacher said the mistake was due to lack of practice.
paraphrasing
▪ ascribe – to assign a cause
▪ assign – to give a task or cause
attribute :
quality, feature
noun
▪ An attribute of a good leader is honesty.
▪ A quality of a good leader is honesty.
▪ The main attribute of this product is its durability.
▪ The main quality of this product is its strength.
paraphrasing
▪ attribute – quality
▪ feature – characteristic
Pronunciation
attribute [əˈtrɪb.juːt]
The stress is on 'trib' and sounds like 'uh-tri-byoot'.
attribute [ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt]
The stress is on 'at' and sounds like 'at-trib-yoot'.
Common phrases and grammar about attribute
attribute - Common meaning
noun
quality, feature
verb
to assign, to credit
noun
quality, feature
Part of Speech Changes for "attribute"
▪ attribution (noun) – the act of saying something is caused by someone or something
▪ attributed (adjective) – said to be caused by someone or something
Common Expressions with "attribute"
▪ attribute to someone – to say someone caused something
▪ attribute success to hard work – to say hard work caused success
▪ a key attribute – an important quality
▪ attribute characteristics – to say features of something
Important examples of attribute in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, attribute is often used to show cause or quality.
Example of a confusing word: contribute (to give or add to)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
As a verb, attribute often needs an object and can show a cause in grammar questions.
attribute
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
attribute to success
'to say success is caused by', used when discussing achievements.
attribute importance to something
means 'to say something is important'.
Differences between similar words and attribute
attribute
,
ascribe
differences
Attribute means to say something is caused by someone, while ascribe often means to give credit to a specific source.
attribute
,
assign
differences
Attribute is often used for qualities or causes, while assign is used for tasks or responsibilities.
Words with the same origin as attribute
The origin of attribute
The word 'attribute' comes from Latin 'attributus', meaning 'to assign or give'.
Word structure
It has the prefix at (to), root trib (to assign), and suffix ute (verb), so attribute means 'to assign to'.
Words with the same origin
The root of attribute is trib (to assign). Words with the same root include contribute (to give together), distribute (to give out).
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