Unattributing

Unattributing describes the act of not assigning credit, blame, or origin to someone or something. It involves withholding the identification of a source, author, or cause. This can be done deliberately for various reasons, such as protecting privacy, maintaining anonymity, avoiding conflict, or emphasizing the information itself over its originator. It implies a conscious decision to keep the source unspecified or unacknowledged. This practice is relevant in fields from journalism to scientific research, and can have significant ethical and practical implications.

Unattributing meaning with examples

• The whistleblower chose to remain unattributing, fearing repercussions for exposing the company's illegal activities. Their identity was kept secret to protect them, ensuring their safety and allowing the information to be thoroughly investigated without prejudice to the source.
• In the report on the archaeological dig, the artifacts' origins remained unattributing, only describing them as belonging to the 'local culture', to avoid focusing on which nation had done the excavation.
• The social media post went viral, with the source of the original quote unattributing, instead focusing on the content's message and broad applicability.
• Many online tutorials and guides remain unattributing to a particular author, for a more egalitarian approach, or simply if the information is widely available and not original.