# tribute

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɹɪbjuːt/ · frequency rank #4,722

## Definitions
1. An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.
2. An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.
3. A payment made by one nation to another in submission.
4. Extortion; protection money.
5. A payment made by a feudal vassal to his lord.
6. A certain proportion of the mined ore, or of its value, given to the miner as payment.
7. Ellipsis of cum tribute.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *tréyes
From Middle English tribut (14th c.), from Middle French tribut, from Latin tributum (“tribute”, literally “a thing contributed or paid”), past participle of tribuere (“to assign, allot”), usually derived from tribus (“tribe”, which see).

## Easily confused with
- **trite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribute-vs-trite)
- **Trieste** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribute-vs-trieste)
- **tribe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribe-vs-tribute)
- **tribune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tribune-vs-tribute)

## Common misspellings (10)
`rtibute`, `tirbute`, `trbiute`, `tribbute`, `tribtue`, `tribuet`, `tributte`, `triubte`, `trribute`, `ttribute`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tribute