allocate

verb

al·​lo·​cate ˈa-lə-ˌkāt How to pronounce allocate (audio)
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 adjective
allocation noun
allocator noun

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 company also allocated $10 million to company leaders around the world to come up with creative ways to bring their teams and others together in the office. Trey Williams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 There are 865 Republican delegates that will be allocated, and the winner of the GOP presidential nomination must collect 1,215 delegates. Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 The program will also allow the city to monitor trends, collect data about the services provided and identify problem areas where more resources should be allocated. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 The states mostly allocate their delegates by winner-take-all — and that method could create an insurmountable lead for a front-runner. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 2 Mar. 2024 Arizona's education department allocated funding for more than 500 school counselors and social workers this school year, but not all of those positions could be filled. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 Full implementation costs would amount to $3.2 billion, according to a consulting firm, but the City Council has only allocated $4.5 million so far. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 This fall, the City Council allocated $200,000 to deal with the crisis, and Raine was hired to be the city’s first homeless services coordinator. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 By analyzing revenue streams and expense categories, founders can allocate resources more effectively and drive sustainable growth. Abdo Riani, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allocate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of allocate was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near allocate

Cite this Entry

“Allocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allocate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

allocate

verb
al·​lo·​cate ˈal-ə-ˌkāt How to pronounce allocate (audio)
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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on allocate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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