Something given or done that helps shape a result, body of work, or shared effort.
Reach for it when naming a person's or group's specific addition without assigning all the credit
Her annotated map was a decisive contribution to the rescue plan.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional |
|
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
two cents
Fits when a modest informal opinion is being added
Careful The idiom trivializes expertise and sounds flippant beside substantive work.
everyday
addition
Fits when something new has been included
Careful An addition can be incidental and says nothing about usefulness.
warm
Fits when money, goods, or time are given freely
Careful A donation is only one kind of contribution and usually implies no direct return.
professional
input
Fits when ideas, feedback, or data enter a process
Careful Input is impersonal jargon and may not affect the final result.
formal
Fits when work performed for others is the valued contribution
Careful Service can be a role, transaction, or period of duty.
literary
Fits when something is presented with generosity or care
Careful Offering can sound ceremonial and may be merely proposed rather than used.
valuable contribution
The caretaker's logs made a valuable contribution to the inquiry.
make a contribution
Every team was invited to make a contribution within its means.
major contribution
Insulation made a major contribution to the building's lower energy use.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Gbeebani, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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