Library / English Dictionary

CONTRIBUTE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provide

Example:

The city has to put up half the required amount

Synonyms:

contribute; put up

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "contribute" is one way to...):

pay (give money, usually in exchange for goods or services)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

contribution (act of giving in common with others for a common purpose especially to a charity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Contribute to some cause

Example:

I gave at the office

Synonyms:

chip in; contribute; give; kick in

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "contribute" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contribute"):

combine (add together from different sources)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

contribution (the effort contributed by a person in bringing about a result)

contribution (act of giving in common with others for a common purpose especially to a charity)

contributor (someone who contributes (or promises to contribute) a sum of money)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Bestow a quality on

Example:

This adds a light note to the program

Synonyms:

add; bestow; bring; contribute; impart; lend

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "contribute" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contribute"):

factor (be a contributing factor)

instill; transfuse (impart gradually)

tinsel (impart a cheap brightness to)

throw in (add as an extra or as a gratuity)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be conducive to

Example:

The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing

Synonyms:

conduce; contribute; lead

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "contribute" is one way to...):

advance; boost; encourage; further; promote (contribute to the progress or growth of)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

contributive; contributory (tending to bring about; being partly responsible for)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The Fc portion of MEDI-551 does not contain a fucose sugar moiety, which may contribute to its enhanced ADCC activity.

(Anti-CD19 Monoclonal Antibody MEDI-551, NCI Thesaurus)

Traces of various aldehydes are found in essential oils and often contribute to their odors.

(Aldehyde, NCI Thesaurus)

Any studies (usually immunologic or virologic) that, although not directly concerned with AIDS, could reasonably be expected to contribute information useful in understanding or combatting AIDS.

(AIDS-Indirect Research, NCI Thesaurus)

This project is an attempt to measure galactic magnetic fields and learn how they influence the way that interstellar gases are ejected from galaxy disks and contribute to galaxy formation and evolution.

(Giant magnetic ropes seen in Whale Galaxy's halo, National Science Foundation)

APOE binding to HSPG has been implicated as one mechanism that may contribute to the amyloid and tau protein deposits that destroy the brain.

(Unique case of disease resistance reveals possible Alzheimer’s treatment, National Institutes of Health)

The effects of age on these cells contributes to MS, but their function also declines with age in healthy people.

(Cambridge scientists reverse ageing process in rat brain stem cells, University of Cambridge)

"These organisms contribute to the biological carbon pump by creating carbon-rich fecal pellets that sink rapidly into the ocean," Stukel said.

(Research provides new view of the critical role of plankton in marine carbon storage, National Science Foundation)

The scent of a rose, for example, is made up of a mix of 275 components, with only a few contributing to the smell we perceive.

(Humans Can Identify More Than 1 Trillion Smells, NIH, US)

An invasive therapeutic procedure to destroy tissue in the AV-node that contributes to an arrhythmia.

(Ablation of Cardiac Atrioventricular Node, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

Malate can be oxidized to pyruvate by the malic enzyme, with production of NADPH as well, that can contribute to fatty acid biosynthesis.

(Acetyl Group Shuttle Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)