attributory
|at-trib-u-to-ry|
🇺🇸
/əˈtrɪbjətəri/
🇬🇧
/əˈtrɪbjʊtəri/
serving to attribute; contributing
Etymology
'attributory' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'attribuere', where the prefix 'ad-' meant 'to/toward' and 'tribuere' meant 'to assign'.
'attributory' changed from the Middle English/Old French developments of the Latin root — Latin 'attribuere' produced Anglo-French and Middle English forms such as 'attribute', and the adjective was later formed with the suffix '-ory' to yield 'attributory'.
Initially, the root meant 'to assign or bestow'; over time the formed adjective came to mean 'serving to attribute' or 'contributing' (especially in legal usage).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(rare) Something that attributes or an attributing factor; a contributory element.
The investigators listed several attributories that may have led to the failure.
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Adjective 1
serving to attribute; relating to ascription or designation (attributive).
The label is attributory, indicating which department produced the item.
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Adjective 2
contributing as a cause or source; having a causal or contributory role (often used in legal contexts, e.g. 'attributory negligence').
The court found that his actions were attributory to the accident.
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Last updated: 2025/12/18 21:06