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 All funds allocated for de-escalation and restraint alternatives were not spent because they were supplemented with grant funding, Walker said. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023 Overall, more than half (63%) of CFOs say that less than 1% of their organizations’ budget will be allocated to GenAI next year. Bysheryl Estrada, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2023 It is allocated by the federal agency each year based on a funding formula that takes into account an annual homelessness population count. John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 11 Sep. 2023 Harris also knows that a new stadium, no matter how much public funding is allocated, will require infusions of capital from himself and fellow owners. Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2023 Money is also allocated to new public safety jobs and toward some capital improvement projects at the McKinney National Airport and the new city hall and within the Parks and Recreation Department. Haeven Gibbons, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2023 Previously, the rules allocated delegates by congressional district. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 These assessments will shape the scope of federal assistance and how resources are allocated for each community and survivor. Latisha Nixon-Jones, CBS News, 31 Aug. 2023 The vehicles will be first allocated to locations the southern U.S., Reeves said. Isabella Volmert, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

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 28 Sep. 2023.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!