reattribution

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noun

The act of attributing again.

“the reattribution of a text of disputed authorship”

Scrabble 15

Meanings

nounreattribution (countable and uncountable, plural reattributions)

plural reattributions

  1. countableuncountableThe act of attributing again.

    the reattribution of a text of disputed authorship

  2. countableuncountablecrimeartThe process of determining whether artwork is real or fake, and, if fake, determining when and by whom it was created.

    To professionals in the world of art, reattribution is not necessarily pejorative, even though it is often perceived that way by the general public. Reattribution can upgrade a work as well as downgrade it.

    1994, John E. Conklin, Art Crime, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 54
  3. countableuncountablepsychotherapyA therapeutic technique in which the client is encouraged to consider possible alternate causes for events.

    Reattribution does not focus on the facts themselves but rather tests whether the explanations based on the facts are accurate. Reattribution simply asks, “What is another explanation?” (A. T. Beck et al., 1985).

    2012, Robert D. Friedberg, Angela A. Gorman, Laura Hollar Wilt, Adam Biuckians, Michael Murray, Teaching Child Psychiatrists (and Other Busy Mental Health Professionals!) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Rubrics andRudiments, Routledge, →ISBN, page 238
  4. countableuncountablebusinessA change of attribution for a target (usually a customer or user) that was previously active.

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

reattribution. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reattribution

MLA

“reattribution.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reattribution. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reattribution,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reattribution.

Source: reattribution on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.