Ascribe

Pronunciation: /əˈskraɪb/

Definitions of ascribe

verb to attribute or credit to a particular cause, source, or origin

Example Sentences

A1 She ascribes her success to hard work and determination.

A2 The author ascribes the character's actions to his troubled past.

B1 Historians often ascribe the fall of the Roman Empire to a combination of internal and external factors.

B2 Some people ascribe supernatural powers to certain objects or places.

C1 Psychologists ascribe the behavior of serial killers to a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.

C2 Literary critics often ascribe deeper meanings to works of literature that may not have been intended by the author.

Examples of ascribe in a Sentence

formal Many historians ascribe the fall of the Roman Empire to a combination of internal weaknesses and external pressures.

informal Some people ascribe his success to luck, but I think it's more about hard work.

slang I don't know why she's always ascribing drama to everything.

figurative She likes to ascribe human emotions to her cat, saying he looks sad when he's really just sleepy.

Grammatical Forms of ascribe

• past tense: ascribed
• plural: ascribes
• comparative: more ascribe
• superlative: most ascribe
• present tense: ascribes
• future tense: will ascribe
• perfect tense: have ascribed
• continuous tense: is ascribing
• singular: ascribes
• positive degree: ascribe
• infinitive: to ascribe
• gerund: ascribing
• participle: ascribing

Origin and Evolution of ascribe

First Known Use: 0014 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'ascribe' originated from the Latin word 'ascribere', which means 'to write in' or 'to attribute'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'ascribe' has retained its original meaning of attributing something to a particular cause or source, but it has also come to be used more broadly in various contexts.