con·tri·bu·tion n
1: payment of a share of an amount for which one is liable: as
a: shared payment of a judgment by joint tortfeasors esp. according to proportional fault compare apportion a
b: pro rata apportionment of loss among all the insurance policies covering the same person or property compare indemnity
2: the money paid by one responsible for a share
3: payment to a common fund (as by an employer or employee to an insurance plan or retirement fund)
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.