Ascribe — Defs

01 v. t. To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause; as, his death was ascribed to a poison; to ascribe an effect to the right cause; to ascribe …

imp. & p. p. Ascribed; p. pr. & vb. n. Ascribing

1.
To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause; as, his death was ascribed to a poison; to ascribe an effect to the right cause; to ascribe such a book to such an author.
“The finest [speech] that is ascribed to Satan in the whole poem.” — Addison.
2.
To attribute, as a quality, or an appurtenance; to consider or allege to belong.
“More than good-will to me attribute naught.” — Spenser.

“Ascribes his gettings to his parts and merit.” — Pope.

“And fairly quit him of the imputed blame.” — Spenser.

Syn. To Ascribe, Attribute, Impute.

Attribute denotes, 1. To refer some quality or attribute to a being; as, to attribute power to God. 2. To refer something to its cause or source; as, to attribute a backward spring to icebergs off the coast. Ascribe is used equally in both these senses, but involves a different image. To impute usually denotes to ascribe something doubtful or wrong, and hence, in general literature, has commonly a bad sense; as, to impute unworthy motives. The theological sense of impute is not here taken into view.