/ əˈtrɪbjətɪv; NAmE / adjective
( grammar ) ( of adjectives or nouns ) used before a noun to describe it :
In 'the blue sky' and 'a family business', 'blue' and 'family' are attributive.
—compare predicative
► at·tribu·tive·ly adverb :
Some adjectives can only be used attributively.
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 18th cent. (as a noun in the sense a word expressing an attribute ): from French attributif , -ive , from attribut an attribute, from Latin attribuere add to, from ad- to + tribuere assign.