What does contribute mean?
The verb 'contribute' means to give or supply something — whether money, time, labour, ideas, or expertise — toward a common purpose or shared undertaking, alongside others doing the same. It carries a broadly positive connotation of cooperation and helpfulness: to contribute is to be part of something larger than oneself. The word appears constantly in everyday speech ('chipping in' for a gift), charity ('contributing to disaster relief'), workplaces ('contributing to a team project'), and intellectual life, where it also covers submitting writing, art, or research to a publication or collective work. A further sense describes playing a meaningful part in producing a result, as when scientists say certain factors 'contributed to' an outcome. Derived forms include the noun 'contribution', the person noun 'contributor', and the adjective 'contributory'. Because it spans financial, creative, and causal uses, 'contribute' is one of the most versatile words in modern English for describing participation and generosity.
To give or supply money, time, effort, ideas, or other resources to a common cause, fund, project, or collective endeavour; to add one's part to a joint whole.
"Several local businesses contributed prizes to the school raffle."
To submit written or creative material for publication alongside the work of others, as in a magazine, journal, or edited volume.
"She contributes a monthly column to the gardening magazine."
In publishing contexts the recipient is usually named with 'to': 'contributes to The Atlantic'.
To play a part in bringing about a particular result or outcome.
"Poor insulation and old boilers both contributed to the high heating bills."
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Etymology of contribute
The word 'contribute' derives from the Latin verb 'contribuere', meaning 'to bring together, to combine into one', formed from the prefix 'com-/con-' (together) plus 'tribuere' (to allot, grant, or pay out). 'Tribuere' itself traces back to the ancient Roman practice connected to 'tributum', the tax levied by tribe — which is why related words like 'tribute' and 'tributary' share this root. English borrowed 'contribute' in the early seventeenth century, during the period of extensive Latin borrowing that shaped scholarly and scientific vocabulary. Its cognates include 'contribution', 'tributary', 'attribute', and 'distribute', all descending from the same Latin stem.
Word family
Usage notes
Standard register across formal and informal contexts. Commonly followed by 'to' when naming the cause or recipient ('contribute to a fund', 'contribute to a discussion'). In publishing contexts, 'contribute' often takes the preposition 'to' with the name of the publication. The verb is frequently used with adverbs of degree such as 'greatly', 'significantly', and 'substantially'.
Don't confuse with
'Attribute' (verb) means to regard something as being caused by or belonging to someone or something, while 'contribute' means to give or add something to a shared whole.