Word a Day
ascribe
What does ascribe mean?
ascribe (verb): to regard as arising from a specified cause or source.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you pronounce ascribe?
/əˈskɹaɪb/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does ascribe come from?
From Middle English ascriben, from Old French ascrivre (“inscribe, attribute, impute”), from Latin āscrībere (“to state in writing”), equivalent to a- + scribe.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “ascribe”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “ascribe” mean?
to strengthen, especially by addition or augmentation
Not quite: that's what reinforce means.
to understand or grasp fully and thoroughly; to plumb
Not quite: that's what comprehend means.
to regard as arising from a specified cause or source
Right! That's what “ascribe” means.
to speak in order for someone to write down the words
Not quite: that's what dictate means.
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