ascription

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of attributing a quality, cause, statement, or work to a person or thing

   The ascription of purpose to every natural process requires an argument, not merely an analogy.

2. 2
   noun

   sociology: assignment of status or identity on the basis of characteristics fixed at birth rather than achievement

   The study contrasts status gained through education with status determined by ascription.

From Latin ascriptio ("a writing down, enrollment"), from ascribere ("to write in, add, attribute"), built from ad- ("to") + scribere ("to write"). Its modern senses preserve the idea of assigning something to an owner, source, or category.

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