reallocate

verb

re·​al·​lo·​cate (ˌ)rē-ˈa-lə-ˌkāt 

reallocated; reallocating; reallocates

transitive verb

: to allocate (something) again: such as

a

: to apportion or distribute (something) in a new or different way

The best way to start an overhaul of the nation's statistical system would be to reallocate funds from the Agriculture Department to other agencies.

—Joseph Spiers

b

: to earmark or designate (something) for a new or different purpose

In recent years, many local low-income housing units … have been demolished or reallocated to serve wealthier residents.

—Hannah Russell

reallocation

(ˌ)rē-ˌa-lə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

plural reallocations

… the reallocation of local property taxes from library budgets to school districts …

—Ruth Perry

The reallocation for overflow parking could take away as many as 75 spots from resident students during its allotted hours …

—Emma Reith

Examples of reallocate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When markets recover, reallocate to create your recession reserve again for next time. —Kenny Gott, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2025

The Twins looked into trading Vázquez this winter simply because reallocating some of his $10 million salary toward another player’s contract would have made sense. —Dan Hayes, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025

The big picture: Constructing less parking allows developers to reallocate costs for resident perks and better building designs. —Alexandria Sands, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025

The freeze, now temporarily blocked by a federal judge, was part of a broader fiscal policy aimed at reviewing and potentially reallocating federal budget expenditures to align with the administration's priorities. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above