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
• assign
• distribute

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

There are 4,550 spaces allocated for residents, 2,100 spaces for entertainment center visitors and 390 spaces for store and restaurant patrons. —Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025

More than $25 million was allocated to homelessness programs in Berkeley for the last fiscal year, but the city now faces an annual $20 million structural deficit, the state is grappling with a strained budget of its own and federal social services are being cut. —Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025

John tells fellow Hawaiians of the wisdom kept in this game like how the stone carvings from hundreds of years ago are believed to have been used as an abacus-esque device for managing and allocating land. —Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025

Organize liquidity needs Even your cash needs should be thoughtfully allocated and not all lumped into one savings account or money market fund. —Michelle Fox, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for allocate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• amputate
• angulate

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