The Good Oil Word of the Day

The word for today is…

attribute (noun, verb):

noun
1: a quality, character, or characteristic ascribed to someone or something
2: an object closely associated with or belonging to a specific person, thing, or office
3 grammar : a word ascribing a quality

verb
1: to explain (something) by indicating a cause
2a: to regard as a characteristic of a person or thing
b: to reckon as made or originated in an indicated fashion
c: classify, designate

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Attribute means something rather similar to "pay tribute". So, for example, an award winner who pays tribute to an inspiring professor is, in a sense, attributing her success to the professor. Though if you attribute your fear of dogs to an incident in your childhood, you're not exactly praising the nasty dog that bit you way back when. The second sense of attribute is slightly different: If you attribute bad motives to a politician, it means you think he or she is doing things for the wrong reasons (even if you don't have any proof). When attribute is accented on its first syllable, it's being used as a noun, usually as a synonym for quality. So, for instance, you may believe that an even temper is an attribute of the best political leaders, or that cheerfulness is your spouse's best attribute.

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