English vocabulary · C1
Ascribe
/əˈskraɪb/ · v.
It means to say that something is caused by or belongs to a particular person or thing. You point to a source and say it came from there.
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Example sentences
- She ascribed her success to hard work and good timing.
- Doctors ascribed the illness to a lack of sleep.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- a — to (from Latin)
- scribe — write (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- ATTRIBUTE — to say something came from a source (General & Flexible)
- CREDIT — to give praise to a source (Positive & Praising)
- ASSIGN — to officially give to a source (Deliberate & Active)
Words with the same root
scribe — write
- describe — to say what something is like
- prescribe — to officially say what must be done or taken
- subscribe — to sign up for something regularly
Lesson notes
Ascribe. It means to say that something is caused by or belongs to a particular person or thing. You point to a source and say it came from there.
Related: attribute, credit, assign. Use ascribe when you are saying what caused something or where it came from.
She ascribed her success to hard work and good timing. Doctors ascribed the illness to a lack of sleep.
From Latin. a- means to. scribe- means write. To write something to a cause — to point and say it belongs there: that is ascribe.