attribution

Everyday

1. Saying who wrote, made, said or did something: giving credit. tree →
2. Saying what caused something: «the attribution of the flood to heavy rain». tree →
3. (formal) A quality that someone is thought to have. tree →

In the lessons

In school it matters when using pictures, quotes or facts from other people: you must give attribution (say where it came from) and not copy as if it were yours. In art and history experts argue about the attribution of a painting to a painter. Phrases: «with attribution», «without attribution», «give attribution», «correct attribution».

Examples

• Always add an attribution when you use a photo from the internet. tree →
• The quote had no attribution, so we didn't know who said it. tree →
• The attribution of this painting to a famous artist is not certain. tree →
• Our teacher showed us how to write an attribution under a picture. tree →
• Copying words without attribution is called plagiarism. tree →
• The museum changed the attribution after new tests. tree →

Note

Mostly uncountable, sometimes countable. Verb: attribute (to) — «The poem is attributed to an unknown writer.» Stress: at-tri-BU-tion. Do not confuse with «attributes» (qualities) or «contribution».

In Jewish tradition

In school it matters when using pictures, quotes or facts from other people: you must give attribution (say where it came from) and not copy as if it were yours. In art and history experts argue about the attribution of a painting to a painter. Phrases: «with attribution», «without attribution», «give attribution», «correct attribution».

Examples

• NOTICE OF ATTRIBUTION Scanned at sacred-texts.com, September 2005. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• Kalisch in the supplementary paragraphs gives a different attribution ; both are wrong, as an adept cultured clairvoyant could prove. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →

Note

Mostly uncountable, sometimes countable. Verb: attribute (to) — «The poem is attributed to an unknown writer.» Stress: at-tri-BU-tion. Do not confuse with «attributes» (qualities) or «contribution».