impute

(ĭm-pyūt')
tr.v., -put·ed, -put·ing, -putes.

1. To relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault or responsibility to: imputed the rocket failure to a faulty gasket; kindly imputed my clumsiness to inexperience.
2. To assign as a characteristic; credit: the gracefulness so often imputed to cats. See synonyms at attribute.

[Middle English imputen, from Old French emputer, from Latin imputāre : in-, in; see in-² + putāre, to settle an account.]

View more Science videos

A term in metrology relating to the ascribing of an amount measured in one quantity to a measurement in another. Such ascribing has been common in the grain trade, where the bushel, a unit of volume equal to 64 pints and routinely used in that sense at farm level, has been ascribed corresponding values of ‘weight’. The practice reflects the respective ease of measuring small amounts by volume but large amounts by weighing. It has been used similarly for other fluidic dry goods, and for such units as the bag and, for mercury, the flask.

verb

1. To ascribe (a misdeed or an error, for example) to: affix, assign, blame, fasten, fix, pin on, place. See give/take/reciprocity.
2. To regard as belonging to or resulting from another: accredit, ascribe, assign, attribute, charge, credit, lay¹, refer. See give/take/reciprocity.

v

Definition: attribute
Antonyms: defend, guard, help, protect

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

Attributed vicariously.

In the legal sense, the term imputed is used to describe an action, fact, or quality, the knowledge of which is charged to an individual based upon the actions of another for whom the individual is responsible rather than on the individual's own acts or omissions. For example, in the law of agency, the actions of an agent performed during the course of employment will be attributed to the agent's principal. The doctrine of imputed negligence makes one person legally responsible for the negligent conduct of another.

IN BRIEF: To attribute; ascribe to a cause or source.

No liberal man would impute a charge of unsteadiness to another for having changed his opinion. — Cicero, Roman orator, statesman, philosopher and writer.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

For a list of words related to impute, see:

• Reasoning and Informing - impute: attribute or ascribe
• Blame, Censure, Ridicule, and Contempt - impute: (vb) lay blame on; discredit

---

See words rhyming with "impute."

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - beregne, tillægge, tilskrive, beskylde for noget

Nederlands (Dutch)
toedichten, aanwrijven, verantwoordelijk- heid toekennen

Français (French)
v. tr. - imputer, attribuer

Deutsch (German)
v. - jmdm. etwas zuschreiben

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - καταλογίζω, αποδίδω

Italiano (Italian)
imputare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - imputar

Русский (Russian)
приписывать, обвинять, условно начислять

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - imputar, atribuir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - tillskriva, tillvita

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
归罪, 嫁祸于, 使负责

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 歸罪, 嫁禍於, 使負責

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - ~에게 탓을 돌리다, 고소하다, 귀속시키다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - せいにする, 負わせる, 帰する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يلصق تهمه ب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮ייחס, תלה הקולר ב-, טפל על‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.