Thesaurus results for IMPUTE

Q: How is the word 'impute' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of impute are ascribe , assign , attribute , and credit . While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame. // tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

Q: When can 'ascribe' be used instead of 'impute'?

The synonyms ascribe and impute are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship. // forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

Q: When is 'assign' a more appropriate choice than 'impute'?

The meanings of assign and impute largely overlap; however, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation. // assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

Q: How is 'attribute' related to other words for 'impute'?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe , less definiteness than assign . // attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

Q: When would 'credit' be a good substitute for 'impute'?

The words credit and impute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation. // credited his teammates for his success

impute

verb

im-ˈpyüt

Definition of impute

as in to ascribe

to explain (something) as being the result of something else people often impute his silence to unfriendliness and not to the shyness it really represents

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How is the word impute different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of impute are ascribe, assign, attribute, and credit. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

When can ascribe be used instead of impute?

The synonyms ascribe and impute are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

When is assign a more appropriate choice than impute?

The meanings of assign and impute largely overlap; however, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

How is attribute related to other words for impute?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

When would credit be a good substitute for impute?

The words credit and impute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impute The data are incomplete in some places and therefore are imputed, the report says. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2025 That accusation prompted the Senate’s presiding chair to step in and warn Peters that Senate Rule XIX states that senators shall not impute to another senator any conduct or motive unworthy of being a senator. — Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2025 That means that now, more than a third of price data in the CPI is imputed—estimated rather than directly observed—since fewer agents are collecting prices in person. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025 That imputes a total cost of $566 million. — Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impute

Verb

Johnson ascribed magical powers to said mustache and had the receipts to back it up.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
One automatically ascribes fraud to results that are often predictable, even routine; the other dismisses legitimate concerns as conspiracy theories.

— Andrew E. Busch, The Conversation, 23 July 2026

Definition of ascribe

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“Impute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impute. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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