Ascriptions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of attributing or assigning qualities, characteristics, or responsibilities to someone or something
2. The process of designating or crediting particular traits, roles, or intentions to individuals or entities
3. Acknowledging or naming specific attributes, duties, or affiliations associated with a person or concept

Etymology: "Ascriptions" is the plural of "ascription," so the noun it names is the act or result of attributing something to someone or something. The root lies in the Latin "ascribere," meaning "to write in addition" or "to enroll," formed from "ad-" ("to") and "scribere" ("to write"). The idea of writing a name onto a list is what gave the English verb "ascribe" its sense of crediting a quality, author, or cause to a person or thing. The noun "ascription" followed that verb, so its plural refers to several such attributions at once, such as a set of traits assigned to a character or group.

Synonyms: attributions, assignments