We attribute Edison's success to intelligence and hard work.
Source: tatoeba (65330)
Attribute
/ˈæt.ɹɪ.bjuːt/
Synonyms for "attribute" (380 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (76)
Noun(23 words)
propertyaccreditingactivity featureadjectival modifieradjective modifieralgorithm propertyanimal featureanimal featuresanimal traitanimal traitsascribeascribingassigningassociatesattachingattributingaudio featurebehavior traitbiological propertyblaming
Show 3 more words
account foraccreditaccredit withaccrete toaccuseacknowledgeaffectionapplyapply toappositivearomaascribeascribe toaspectassignassign toattachattach toattribute toattributive
Adjective(10 words)
accreditedagricultural descriptoralgebraic invariantassociatedbehavioral qualitybiological descriptorsbiological featuresbiomedical propertybotanical traitcatalan painting today
Verb(12 words)
accreditsacknowledgesapportionsascribeascribedascribesassignassign traitassignedassignsattributedbe content with absence
Strong matches (114)
Noun(51 words)
characteristicschemistry oriented descriptorclassification criterioncolumnscommon traitcountry portioncreditcreditingcreditscultural descriptordata featuredata fielddata propertydata structure componentdecision descriptordescriptordescriptor of designdescriptorsdesign attributedesign feature
Show 31 more words
design propertydesign traitdiffer greatlydimensiondocument featureelectrical propertyeligibility criterionengineering propertyfacetsfacultyfastener featurefeaturefeaturesfieldfield audience questionsfossil imprint detailfrench attribuerfunction propertygeoscience descriptorgovernment descriptorgraph featuregroup attributegroup characteristicgroup propertygroup traithair featurehueshuman traitidentifying featureidentity traitimmaterial thing property
chargecharge oncharge tochronologizecomplementconfessconfigurationconnect withconstruction modifiercreditcredit withcutcuttingdatedeep structuredevicedifferentiadifferentialdirect objectdistinctive feature
Adjective(12 words)
chemical species propertiescognitive constructdefining traitdescriptive featuresdescriptive propertydistinguishing featureeuropean descriptorexternal featurefixed propertyfunctional propertygeometric propertiesimportant personal trait
Related words (190)
Verb(8 words)
Noun(72 words)
imputingindividual propertyingredient descriptorinstrument design attributelandscape elementlanguage propertylineamentmaterial characteristicmaterial descriptormaterial propertymathematical descriptormetadata fieldminoanizingmodeling descriptormodifiersmore characteristicmore material-propertymore scientific descriptorname attributenonclinical modifier
Show 52 more words
operational characteristicparticularitiespeculiaritiespersonality attributephysical propertiesphysical qualityplace prepositionplant characteristicplant traitpolicy traitpositive traitpredicate logicspredicate nounpredicatespredicatingproduct attributeprojectingpropertiesproperty adjectiveproperty in scienceproperty of matterproperty termpropspsychopsisqualitative adjectivequalitative descriptorqualitativityqualityquality attributesquality descriptorquality wordqualitérefremarksoil propertysolution propertysource bundlesourcingstate artstate of mutenessstudy variablesubstance characteristicsubstance propertysurface featuresystem characteristicsystem descriptorsystem propertysystem tagtext source markertraittraitswriting system feature
Preposition(1 words)
in detail
Adjective(30 words)
independent descriptorinteger descriptorliquid state descriptorlogical propertymathematical propertymeasurable traitsmechanical propertymedical descriptornatural-number propertiesnonliving traitnumeric descriptorobservable characteristicobservable traitobserved propertyorganismal featurepersonal traitphysical attributesphysical descriptorphysical traitportuguese descritor
Show 10 more words
predicativepsychological traitrecordable featuresscientific propertysole descriptorstatistical propertystrong behavioral traitswedish droppetangible featurevisible trait
indexindirect objectindividualismkeynotelaylay tolevellevelslineamentsmannerismmarkmarkingmodifiermoldmouldmouldermouldynatureobjectodor
Show 58 more words
particularitypeculiarityphrase structurepin onpinpointplaceplace uponpointpoint topredicatepropertyputqualifierqualifyqualityquirkrankranksreferrefer torespectsaddle onsaddle withsavoir-fairesavorsealset down tosettle uponshallow structureshapesingularityslotslot and fillersmackspecialtystampstratastructuresubjectsurface structuresymbolsyntactic analysissyntactic structuresyntacticssyntaxtagmemetainttangtastetempertokentrace totraittrickunderlying structurevirtueword arrangementword order
Determiner(1 words)
more copying ethics
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: property, account for, accredit, accredit with, accredited.
- Sentence evidence is available for attribute, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "attribute".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "attribute"
Keep "attribute" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "attribute" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "attribute", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "attribute" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesabstract entityabstractionassignassign traitconceptconceptionconstructdescriptorevaluatejudgepass judgmentpropertyquality
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
11 entriesattribute blame toattribute responsibility toattribute significance toattribute the cause toattribute toattribute valuedata attributedefining attributeinherent attributepersonal attributephysical attribute
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
23 total sentences available.
We attribute his success more to hard work than to genius.
Source: tatoeba (249217)
It's not fair to attribute your failure to your parents.
Source: tatoeba (264973)
Cruelty, it's the first attribute of God.
Source: tatoeba (411009)
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "attribute"?
Closest matches include property, account for, accredit, accredit with, accredited.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "attribute"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.