The word "impute" is spelled as [ɪmˈpjuːt]. The first syllable "im" is pronounced as [ɪm], which means to assign responsibility or blame. The second syllable "pute" is pronounced as [pjuːt], which sounds like the word 'pew' and then 't'. This word is commonly misspelled as "impoot" or "imppute" due to the silent 'e' at the end, which causes confusion. It is important to remember the correct spelling to communicate effectively in written communication.
Impute is a verb that refers to the act of attributing or assigning a quality, action, or responsibility to someone or something. When you impute something to someone, you are holding them accountable or considering them as the source or cause of a particular action or outcome.
In terms of attributing a quality, imputing means ascribing a particular characteristic or trait to someone. It involves assigning a specific attribute or belief to an individual based on their actions, statements, or reputation. For example, if someone consistently displays dishonest behavior, you might impute dishonesty to them, indicating that you believe it is a defining quality of their persona.
Impute can also refer to ascribing an action or responsibility to someone. This implies holding them accountable for a certain action or event. For instance, if an error occurs within a company's financial statements, it may be imputed to the chief financial officer, suggesting that they are responsible for the mistake.
Furthermore, imputing can involve assigning moral or legal responsibility to an individual or entity. It is common in legal contexts where guilt or liability needs to be determined. If someone is accused of a crime, the burden of proof lies in imputing guilt upon the accused, illustrating their culpability in the alleged offense.
Overall, impute is a word used to describe the action of ascribing a quality, action, or responsibility to someone or something, often based on evidence, behavior, or perception.
To charge; to attribute; to reckon as belonging to one when due to another.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "impute" comes from the Latin verb "imputare", which means "to reckon" or "to attribute". The prefix "im-" means "into" or "upon", and when combined with "putare" (meaning "to think" or "to judge"), it forms "imputare", suggesting the idea of attributing something to someone or placing it upon them in a cognitive sense. Over time, the verb "imputare" evolved into "impute" in English, retaining a similar meaning of ascribing or ascribing responsibility for something.