1
Core action
Attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
Example
The critic imputed selfish motives to the reformers.
impute
/ɪmˈpjuːt/ · im-PYOOTverb
Attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
Use impute to express this relationship precisely: attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
What impute Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common construction
Use this expression in its normal grammatical frame so the relationship between the surrounding ideas remains explicit.
Example
It is unfair to impute the error to deliberate deception.
3
Reasoning effect
It tells the reader how to interpret the timing, scope, evidence, contrast, condition, or consequence in the statement.
Example
The model imputes missing values from nearby observations.
Use impute Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The critic imputed selfish motives to the reformers.
It is unfair to impute the error to deliberate deception.
The model imputes missing values from nearby observations.
Precision Matters
Impute overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
impute
vs.Means attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
derive from
Means come, originate, or be obtained from a source.
impute
vs.Means attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
corroborate
Means confirm or support a statement with additional evidence.
impute
vs.Means attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
vindicate
Means to free from blame or prove a person, claim, or decision correct.
impute
vs.Means attribute a quality, motive, responsibility, or action to someone or something, often without sufficient evidence.
imply
Means suggest, indicate, or communicate something indirectly without stating it explicitly.
Test impute in Context
The reviewer should not attribute a motive that has not been demonstrated.
1
Without evidence, the reviewer should not ___ dishonest motives to the researchers.