allocate
verb
al·lo·cate
ˈa-lə-ˌkāt 
allocated; allocating
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
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 school allocated over $5 million of its annual operating budget to support tuition for 200 students this school year.
—
Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
During that meeting, committee members voted to allocate between $130 million and $150 million in infrastructure funding that was already set aside for 2028 projects in the metro, likely including Wyandotte, to roadway repairs in some of the state’s rural districts.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
Money is exiting, but the majority of assets have remained in place, and some ETF experts say the money being pulled isn’t from the long-term investor or financial advisor that have begun allocating to the asset class.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
Because these costs were already in the Pentagon’s budget, they can’t be allocated elsewhere and don’t represent funds taken from other areas.
—Jamie Tarabay, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for allocate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
During that meeting, committee members voted to allocate between $130 million and $150 million in infrastructure funding that was already set aside for 2028 projects in the metro, likely including Wyandotte, to roadway repairs in some of the state’s rural districts.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
Money is exiting, but the majority of assets have remained in place, and some ETF experts say the money being pulled isn’t from the long-term investor or financial advisor that have begun allocating to the asset class.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
Because these costs were already in the Pentagon’s budget, they can’t be allocated elsewhere and don’t represent funds taken from other areas.
—Jamie Tarabay, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for allocate
Cite this Entry
“Allocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allocate. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
