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Impute motives to somebody

English Language Learners Asked by user93387 on December 14, 2020

What is the meaning of the following sentence

You were not justified in imputing motives to him.

Is this an idiom? I looked up its meaning but didn’t find anything.(no further context can be provided as it is just an example sentence in my book)

One Answer

To impute a motive to someone is to assume or conclude that the person had that motive. The term is generally used when the person assigning the motive has no evidence, or only limited evidence, that the motive is accurate. The term "impute" is often used with a somewhat negative connotation, implying that a person has assumed a motive unjustifiably, where other possibilities exist. The term "impute" is particularly likely to be used when the motive under discussion is itself negative. For example

You should not impute greed to him, he may have acted out of misplaced caution.

The word "impute" can also be used where the motive being assigned or assumed is neutral or positive, but is not as common in that context.

Answered by David Siegel on December 14, 2020

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