To impute means to attribute something (usually a quality, motive, or blame) to someone, often without solid proof. When you impute dishonesty to a classmate, you're claiming they're being dishonest based on your suspicions or interpretation of their behavior. When someone imputes selfish motives to your actions, they're assuming you acted selfishly, even if you had good reasons for what you did.

The word often carries a sense of accusation or assumption. If your friend forgets your birthday and you impute carelessness to them, you're deciding that forgetting means they don't care, though there might be other explanations. A historian might impute certain beliefs to a historical figure based on their writings, making an educated guess about what they thought.

Impute is different from prove or observe. You don't impute things you can see directly. You impute hidden qualities, intentions, or causes. Someone might be late because they overslept, not because they don't respect your time.