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 of allocate

• 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

Despite the cash flow from those deals, some investors are concerned that Oracle is allocating too much money to its infrastructure initiatives. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026

Tickets to the conference and luncheon, scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort, will once again be largely allocated to those with the most $TRUMP coins, but the price to acquire them has become significantly cheaper. —Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026

Rollins is eyeing the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, designed under former President Joe Biden, which allocates funds to small- and mid-sized fertilizer production facilities through five-year grants to increase competition and bring down agricultural costs. —Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2026

The fund, which has begun accepting interest forms from prospective businesses and nonprofits, intends to allocate $3 million toward housing projects and $2 million toward economic development projects downtown. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026

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