allocate

verb

al·​lo·​cate ˈa-lə-ˌkāt 

allocated; allocating

transitive verb

1

: to apportion for a specific purpose or to particular persons or things : distribute

allocate tasks among human and automated components

2

: to set apart or earmark : designate

allocate a section of the building for special research purposes

allocatable

ˈa-lə-ˌkā-tə-bəl 

adjective

allocation

ˌa-lə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

allocator

ˈa-lə-ˌkā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• allot
• allow
• apportion
• assign
• distribute
• lot
• ration

Examples of allocate in a Sentence

Money from the sale of the house was allocated to each of the children.

We need to determine the best way to allocate our resources.

Have enough funds been allocated to finance the project?

Recent Examples on the Web

The education office said the board has racked up $243,000 in legal costs for the 2023-2024 year — nearly $70,000 more than what it is allocated. —Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024

The system allocates 538 votes across the country, and a candidate needs a majority, or 270 votes, to win. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024

Digital advertising spending in Southeast Asia mirrors global trends, with Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia allocating the largest share of ad budgets to digital platforms, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024

Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that don’t use a winner-takes-all approach to awarding electors and instead allocate them based on a partially proportional system. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin allocātus, past participle of allocāre "to place, stow, hire out, place on hire, allow, admit, credit," from Latin ad- ad- + locāre "to place, situate" — more at locate

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing allocate

• sub-allocate

Kids Definition

allocate

verb

al·​lo·​cate ˈal-ə-ˌkāt 

allocated; allocating

1

: to divide and distribute for a special reason or to particular persons or things

allocate funds among charities

2

: to set apart for a particular purpose

allocate materials for a project

allocation

ˌal-ə-ˈkā-shən 

noun