Definition Definition

tributary - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'tributary' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Tributary [ a.]
- Paying tribute to another, either from compulsion, as an acknowledgment of submission, or to secure protection, or for the purpose of purchasing peace.
- Hence, subject; subordinate; inferior.
- Paid in tribute.
- Yielding supplies of any kind; serving to form or make up, a greater object of the same kind, as a part, branch, etc.; contributing; as, the Ohio has many tributary streams, and is itself tributary to the Mississippi.
2 . Tributary [ n.]
- A ruler or state that pays tribute, or a stated sum, to a conquering power, for the purpose of securing peace and protection, or as an acknowledgment of submission, or for the purchase of security.
- A stream or river flowing into a larger river or into a lake; an affluent.

Meaning of 'tributary' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . tributary [ s]
Meaning (1):
- tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
Example in sentence:
  • a contributory factor;
  • the seaport was a contributing factor in the growth of the city;
  • working conditions are not conducive to productivity
Meaning (2):
- paying tribute
Example in sentence:
  • a tributary colony