Definition of impute

Email this page to a friend

< imputation

in >

im·pute    (m-pyt) KEY 

TRANSITIVE VERB:
im·put·ed, im·put·ing, im·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.

---

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English imputen, from Old French emputer, from Latin imputre : in-, in ; see in-² + putre, to settle an account; see pau-² in Indo-European roots