Ascribe
/əˈskraɪb/
verbB2
Definition
Ascribe means to give a reason or cause for something, or to say that something belongs to a particular person or thing. For example, when you ascribe a quote to an author, you say that author said it. It is often used when explaining where ideas, actions, or qualities come from.
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See It in Action
To say that something is caused by or belongs to a person, thing, or idea
- •They ascribe the success of the project to good teamwork.
- •The poem is ascribed to a famous writer from the 19th century.
- •Many people ascribe happiness to having close friends.
To assign a quality or characteristic to someone or something
- •We often ascribe kindness to her because of her helpful actions.
- •The teacher ascribed the student's improvement to hard work.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "ascribe" like "say" or "give," but more formal and used when you connect something to its cause or owner
- ✓Picture writing a name next to a drawing to show who made it or who it belongs to
- ✓It's the feeling when you explain why something happened by pointing to a cause or a person responsible
- ✓Sounds like "a-SCRIBE" → imagine writing (scribing) a name on a paper to show who it belongs to
- ✓Think of a teacher saying, "This idea comes from this scientist," linking the idea to its source
- ✓NOT like "guess" (random idea), "ascribe" means you have a reason or evidence to connect something
- ✓NOT like "blame" (negative meaning), "ascribe" can be neutral, just showing origin or cause
Try Other Words
- •Attribute: to say something comes from or is caused by someone or something (Use when you want a simpler or more common word)
- •Credit: to say someone is responsible for something good (Use when focusing on positive causes or praise)
- •Assign: to give responsibility or a quality to someone or something (Use when focusing on giving a task or role)
- •Impute: to say something is caused by or belongs to someone, often with a negative meaning (Use when suggesting blame or fault)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "a-" (to, towards) + "scribe" (write) → originally meaning to write down or assign
- •Etymology: From Latin "ascribere," meaning "to write to or add to"
- •Historical development: Started as a word meaning to write a name or note next to something to show ownership or cause
- •Modern usage: Used to say that something belongs to or is caused by a person, idea, or thing, often in formal or academic language
Reflect & Connect
•How do you decide when it is correct to ascribe a cause or quality to someone or something?
•Can ascribing something be wrong or unfair? When might that happen?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often ascribe ___ the success of a team project to good communication and trust.
2.The ancient painting was ascribed ___ an unknown artist from the Renaissance period.
3.When we ascribe kindness to someone, we usually notice their ___ actions.
4.It is important not to ascribe ___ blame without clear evidence.
5.Scientists ascribe climate change ___ human activities like burning fossil fuels.
6.The teacher ascribed the student's improvement ___ extra practice and attention.
7.Unlike guessing, to ascribe a cause means you have some ___ or reason.