is only attributable to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is only attributable to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is solely the result of a specific cause or factor. Example: "The success of the project is only attributable to the hard work and dedication of the team."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

In the cinema South Park the Movie came and went and even The Flintstones was permitted a live-action movie airing, an extraordinary error of taste which is only attributable to an overspill of frustrated yearning for Springfield's First Family.

The Guardian - Film

Thus, if the CAPM is the right model of risk, then it has to be the case that the value premium is only attributable to differences in the betas.

Columbia University

The tanks are to be protected from the thermal radiation of an adjacent tank with a full surface fire by application of cooling water and in the present arrangement they are so widely spaced that this is only attributable to a generous 'overdesign'overdesign

Safety Science

The randomness in our experimental design ensures that both immigrants and natives apply on average to similar apartments and hence, the differential treatment that we observed is only attributable to the soundness of names.

SERIEs

Why did the Nikkei close down 8% or the Nasdaq index lose 3% is only attributable to the ignorance of Japan and the United States of the European realities.

Huffington Post

The observation of an absolute correlation coefficient inferior to 1 is only attributable to the definition in DOE of a different number of points for the 2 CO2 modalities for each value of the other interacting factor.

BMC Systems Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

GW9508 was used to determine the specific effects of GPR120 activation as brown adipocytes (similar to white adipocytes) lack detectable levels of GPR40 transcript and thus the actions of GW9508 are only attributable to GPR120 activation13,24.

Nature

This decreased rate was only attributable to reduced fractures of the upper limb.

BioMed Research International

DCI was defined as confirmed new hypodensities on the computed tomography (CT) scan that were only attributable to cerebral vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia [ 20].

Critical Care

Although the distribution of medical conditions between patient populations under the care of different doctors is not random [ 29], the differences found in our analysis seem too large to be only attributable to disparities in the morbidity burden of the populations, especially if we consider diagnoses alone.

BMC Health Services Research

Nevertheless, this scale-related hypothesis was only attributable to a small percentage of genes with heterogeneous residual variances (Tables 3), whereas more than 75% of differential dispersion patters must be related to other unknown causes in the analyzed free-access microarray data.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "is only attributable to" when you want to emphasize that a specific outcome or result is the direct and exclusive consequence of a particular factor. This conveys a strong sense of causation and singular influence.

Common error

Avoid using "is only attributable to" when multiple factors contribute to an outcome. If other influences are present, opt for phrases like "is partly attributable to" or "is largely due to" to maintain accuracy and avoid oversimplification.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is only attributable to" functions as a causal connector, linking an effect to its sole cause. As shown in Ludwig, this phrase asserts a direct and exclusive relationship between two elements, indicating that the former is entirely dependent on the latter.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

33%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "is only attributable to" serves as a causal connector, asserting a direct and exclusive causal relationship. Ludwig's analysis reveals that it's grammatically correct, though not excessively common, and suitable for neutral to formal contexts, particularly in scientific, news, and academic writing. It's crucial to use this phrase accurately, ensuring that the described outcome genuinely arises from a single cause, and to consider alternatives like "is solely due to" or "can be traced back to" for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is solely due to

Emphasizes exclusivity, indicating that something is caused by one factor alone.

is exclusively the result of

Highlights that there is no other contributing cause.

can be traced back to

Suggests a process of discovery, finding the origin or cause.

is a direct consequence of

Focuses on the immediate and unavoidable outcome of something.

is determined by

Indicates that something is strictly controlled or defined by another factor.

is contingent upon

Implies that the result depends on the occurrence or existence of something else.

is fundamentally linked to

Highlights an essential connection between two things.

arises solely from

Indicates that something originates from a single source.

stems entirely from

Implies an origin or root cause that is the only factor.

is uniquely attributed to

Highlights that the cause is specific and distinct.

FAQs

What does "is only attributable to" mean?

The phrase "is only attributable to" means that something is caused or explained by a single, specific factor and nothing else. It emphasizes exclusive causation.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "is only attributable to"?

Use "is only attributable to" when you want to emphasize that a particular outcome is exclusively caused by one specific factor and there are no other contributing causes.

What are some alternatives to "is only attributable to"?

Alternatives to "is only attributable to" include "is solely due to", "is exclusively the result of", or "can be traced back to", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

How can I use "is only attributable to" in a sentence?

You can use "is only attributable to" to clearly indicate causation, such as, "The project's success "is only attributable to" the team's dedication".