Contribute
/kənˈtrɪb.juːt/noun
To give or add something, especially money, effort, or ideas, to a common purpose.
Did you know?Contribute comes from Latin *contribuere*, originally meaning to “bring together” or “assign as a share,” from *con-* (“together”) + *tribuere* (“to assign, pay, bestow”), a word tied to distributing tribute and public burdens in ancient Rome.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
contribuere
“to bring together; to assign as a share; to help pay or furnish”
Late Latin
Latin
contributus
“contributed; joined together”
Old French
Old French
contribuer
“to give, pay, or furnish toward a common expense”
Middle English
English
contributen
“to give or provide toward a common purpose”
Modern English
English
contribute
“to give or add something toward a shared end”
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