contribution

From Middle English contribucioun, contribucion, from Old French contribution, from Latin contribūtiōnem, contribūtiō, from Latin contribuēre.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkɒntɹɪˈbjuːʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːʃən
• Hyphenation: con‧tri‧bu‧tion

contribution (countable and uncountable, plural contributions)

1. Something given or offered that adds to a larger whole.
2. An amount of money given toward something.
3. The act of contributing.
4. The taking part, often with the idea that it has led to (scientific etc.) progress.

Learned borrowing from Latin contribūtiōnem.

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.tʁi.by.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

contribution f (plural contributions)

1. contribution
2. (archaic) contribution: levy or impost
   • 1791, National Constituent Assembly, Constitution française, présentée au roi par l'Assemblée nationale, le 3 septembre 1791 [French constitution, presented to the King by the National Assembly on 3 September 1791], Dijon: Imprimerie de P. Causse, page 4:

     Pour l’entretien de la force publique, et pour les dépenses d’administration, une contribution commune est indispensable; elle doit être également répartie entre les citoyens, en raison de leurs facultés.

     For the maintenance of the public force, and for the expenses of the administration, a common contribution is indispensable; it must be equally distributed among the citizens, with regard to their faculties.

• mettre à contribution

• “contribution”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.