“Contribute” means to give or add something (like money, time, effort, ideas, or skills) to help achieve a larger goal or result.

Core meaning

  • To give something to help a person, group, project, or cause, often money, goods, or time.
  • To help to cause something to happen , by being one of the factors that leads to a result.
  • To add content or ideas , for example writing for a website, newspaper, or speaking up with your opinion in a meeting.

Example:

  • “Everyone should contribute to the group project” = everyone should add some work, ideas, or effort.
  • “Heavy rain contributed to the flooding” = the rain helped cause the flooding.

Common ways it’s used

  • Contribute to/toward something :
    • “They contributed 50 dollars to the charity.”
  • Contribute something :
    • “She contributed several ideas during the meeting.”
  • Contribute to (a result) :
    • “Lack of sleep contributed to his bad mood.”

Simple summary

To “contribute” is to add your part so that something can happen, improve, or succeed, whether that’s with money, time, effort, or ideas.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.