contributory

adj, noun — 4 senses

contributory

adj

UK /ˈkɒntɹɪˌbjuːt(ə)ɹi/ · US /ˈkɑntɹɪbjəˌtɔɹi/

Etymology From earlier contributary, from Middle English contributarie, from con- + tributarie after Middle French contributaire.

1

Of, pertaining to, or involving a contribution.

2

Tending to contribute to a result.

3

Obsolete Paying tribute, tributary.

  • My Lord the great Commander of the worlde, Besides fifteene contributory kings, Hath now in armes ten thouſand Ianiſaries, Mounted on luſty Mauritanian Steeds, […]c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
Derived terms
contributorily, contributory negligence, noncontributory, uncontributory

contributory

noun

Etymology From earlier contributary, from Middle English contributarie, from con- + tributarie after Middle French contributaire.

1

A person or thing that contributes.

  • The response to firing is remarkable, and though the 280 lb. pressure seems more in the nature of a reserve for emergencies than a continuous working figure, even with the present-day apology for coal it seldom fell below 250 lb., and could always be brought up to blowing-off point with little difficulty. To this liveliness of steaming the thermic syphons are doubtless the chief contributory.1947 January and February, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 39:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.