Meaning & Definition
verb
to attribute or ascribe a quality, especially a fault, to someone or something.
The committee did not impute any wrongdoing to the manager.
to assign (a value) to something, especially in calculations or models.
We need to impute the missing values in the dataset to complete the analysis.
to consider a person responsible for something.
He attempted to impute the failure of the project to a lack of resources.
to suggest or imply as a source or cause.
The lawyer imputed his client's actions to the circumstances surrounding the case.
Etymology
Middle English, from Old French 'imputer', from Latin 'imputare', meaning 'to reckon, charge to account'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
impute motives:
to assume someone's motives based on their actions
impute guilt:
to assign blame or responsibility for wrongdoing
impute fault:
to attribute a fault or error to someone
Slang Meanings
to throw shade
He was just imputing shade without any evidence.
to call out someone's faults
Don't impute me for your failures.