Imputable

Describing something that can be attributed to a specific cause, source, or person; capable of being assigned responsibility or blame. It suggests a direct causal link between an action or event and an identified agent, often implying a degree of accountability or liability. Imputability hinges on the ability to establish a clear connection, whether morally, legally, or logically, between the outcome and the instigating factor. This connection allows for assigning credit, blame, or consequences.

Imputable meaning with examples

• The prosecution argued that the defendant's actions were directly imputable to the company's lax safety regulations. Evidence demonstrated a clear chain of events linking the neglected protocols to the accident. Their careless handling was a deliberate choice that resulted in the event, thus, his negligent actions resulted in the tragedy and were held responsible for their culpability.
• In ethical discussions, the consequences of a CEO's decisions are often imputable to their leadership. Even when delegating authority, a CEO holds ultimate responsibility for the actions of those under their management. If a project fails because of poor judgment or oversight, they may be blamed, as the direction they provided was key, making their actions the genesis of the failure.
• The success of a marketing campaign was, after careful analysis, deemed imputable to the innovative use of social media. Tracking metrics allowed the team to link the viral spread of the message to the strategic choices of their marketing strategy. They demonstrated their methods, and those methods, and only those methods resulted in the positive outcome, proving their strategy.
• When tracing the origins of a disease outbreak, the infection source is highly imputable. Through contact tracing and genetic analysis, scientists are trying to find which patient gave the virus to the other patients. The epidemiologists trace the spread of the infection to try and find the genesis of the outbreak and to blame the person who was the first case.