contributor

noun

con·​trib·​u·​tor kən-ˈtri-byə-tər How to pronounce contributor (audio)
-bə-,
-ˌbyü-
: someone or something that contributes something or that contributes to something
charitable contributors
… have suggested that the fee would hurt the agriculture industry, a sector they claim is the largest contributor to the state economy.Wenonah Hauter
… was illustrated by Oliver Munday, a frequent contributor to the Book Review …John Williams
These particles, which are known as black carbon and are the major component of soot, are the second most important contributor to global warming, behind only carbon dioxide, wrote the 31 authors of the study …Elisabeth Rosenthal

Examples of contributor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Shaye Baker is a bass fishing content contributor for Field & Stream. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 21 Mar. 2024 Bottle weight is included, because this is the single most important contributor to wine’s carbon footprint. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 As for 2024, the German company’s top-tier cars could be a key contributor to its stellar performance. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024 Long term, Red Bike needs funds from fares, corporate donors, individual contributors and the government. The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 Collectively, European Union (EU) countries have committed $50 billion in direct military support to Kyiv, with Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands the largest contributors. Henrik Pettersson, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 This study found a relationship between affordable housing and individual contributor and frontline workers, while more expensive cities (like New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Seattle) attracted folks with more money. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 Ryan, 40, is a longtime contributor to Artforum and other art publications. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 In March 2021, Lara joined Fox News as a paid contributor. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contributor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contributour "person who pays a tax or assessment," borrowed from Anglo-French, "one who pays a share of a tax or fine," from Latin contribūt-, past participle stem of Latin contribuere "to give as a portion or share" + -our -or entry 1 — more at contribute

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contributor was circa 1531

Dictionary Entries Near contributor

Cite this Entry

“Contributor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contributor. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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