American English

How to pronounce attribution

nounC1
aatruhBYOOshn

/ˌæ.tɹəˈbju.ʃn̩/

4 syllables · Stress the third syllable.

The act of saying that a person, group, or cause is responsible for an event or result.

What to listen for

In attribution, the main stress is on “bju”: ˌæ.tɹəˈbju.ʃn̩. Keep the earlier part lighter, so its middle vowel may sound very short.

Practice out loud

Meanings & examples

nounformal

The act of saying that a person, group, or cause is responsible for an event or result.

The attribution of the failure to poor planning was widely accepted.

The study questions the attribution of the illness to stress.

Common phrases & grammar

attribution of blame · attribution of responsibility · attribution of success

the attribution of [an event/result] to [a person/cause]

[an event/result] is attributed to [a person/cause]

nounformal

The act of naming the person who created or said something, or the source of information.

The painting's attribution to the famous artist is disputed.

The article included attribution for the quoted study.

Good to know

For a quote or image, attribution names the source or creator. It is not the same as ownership.

Common phrases & grammar

proper attribution · source attribution · author attribution · without attribution

the attribution of [a work/quote] to [a person/source]

attribution for [a quote/image]

Useful expressions

without attribution

without naming the source or creator

The image was copied without attribution.

attribution of blame

the act of saying who is responsible for a problem

The report avoids attribution of blame.

Related words & forms

It is often used without a plural ending: “proper attribution.” “Attributions” is used for separate claims or credits.