Standard Lemma guide

contributor

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /kənˈtɹɪb.jə.tɚ/
  • US: /-ju-/
  • UK: /kənˈtɹɪb.jə.tə/
  • UK: /-juː-/
  • UK: /-jʊ-/
  • UK: /ˈkɒn.tɹɪb.juː-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N T R IH1 B Y AH0 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A benefactor; someone who donates to charity or some cause.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I am a longstanding financial contributor to Amnesty International.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was a regular contributor to Greenpeace protests.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person (or thing) instrumental in the creation or growth of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Methane is a major contributor to global warming

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person who produces articles published in a newspaper, magazine, online publication, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • William Safire has been a notable contributor to the op-ed pages of The New York Times for many years.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a writer whose work is published in a newspaper or magazine or as part of a book

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: writer, author

6

noun

Meaning 6

someone who contributes (or promises to contribute) a sum of money

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subscriber

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: donor, giver, presenter, bestower, conferrer

History

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman contributour (from Latin contribuō); equivalent to contribute + -or.

Across languages

Translations

78 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: благодетел (blagodetel) — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Catalan: donant — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Danish: bidragyder — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Danish: bidragsyder — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Dutch: donateur — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Esperanto: subtenanto — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Finnish: hyväntekijä — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • French: contributeur — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • German: Spender — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • German: Beitragszahler — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Hebrew: תורם (torem) — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Hebrew: תורמת (toremet) — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Italian: donatore — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Italian: benefattore — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Italian: contribuente — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Latin: collātor — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bidragsyter — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bidragsytar — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Portuguese: benemérito — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Russian: благоде́тель (blagodételʹ) — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Russian: благоде́тельница (blagodételʹnica) — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Spanish: donante — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Spanish: contribuidor — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Swahili: mchangiaji — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Swedish: bidragsgivare — a benefactor; someone who gives to charity or some cause
  • Bulgarian: поддръжник (poddrǎžnik) — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Catalan: contribuent — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Danish: bidragyder — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Danish: bidragsyder — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Esperanto: apoganto — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Esperanto: adepto — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Esperanto: ano — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Finnish: myötävaikuttaja — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Finnish: edistäjä — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • German: Unterstützer — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • German: Mitwirkender — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Italian: sostenitore — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Italian: collaboratore — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Latin: collator — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Manx: cohoyrtagh — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bidragsyter — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bidragsytar — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Portuguese: adepto — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Portuguese: contribuidor — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Portuguese: contribuinte — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Russian: уча́стник, внося́щий вклад (učástnik, vnosjáščij vklad) — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Spanish: colaborador — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Spanish: contribuyente — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Spanish: contribuidor — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Swedish: bidragsgivare — a person who backs, supports or champions a cause, activity or institution
  • Danish: bidragyder — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Danish: bidragsyder — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Esperanto: kontribuanto — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • German: Beitragender — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • German: Mitmacher — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • German: Mitwirkender — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bidragsyter — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bidragsytar — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Spanish: colaborador — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Spanish: contribuidor — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Swahili: mchangiaji — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Swedish: bidragsgivare — a person or thing instrumental in the creation or growth of something
  • Bulgarian: дописник (dopisnik) — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Catalan: col·laborador — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Danish: bidragyder — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Danish: bidragsyder — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Esperanto: kunlaboranto — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • French: soumissionnaire — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • French: contributeur — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • German: Mitarbeiter — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Italian: collaboratore — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Manx: screeuder — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bidragsyter — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bidragsytar — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Spanish: colaborador — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Spanish: articulista — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Spanish: contribuidor — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
  • Swedish: bidragsgivare — a person who contributes articles to a newspaper, magazine etc
Real reading context

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