allocate

verb

al·lo·cate | \ ˈa-lə-ˌkāt

allocated; allocating

Essential Meaning of allocate

: to divide and give out (something) for a special reason or to particular people, companies, etc. allocate funds among charities Money from the sale of the house was allocated to each of the children. See More ExamplesWe need to determine the best way to allocate our resources. Have enough funds been allocated to finance the project?Hide

Full Definition of allocate

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

Other Words from allocate Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About allocate

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Other Words from allocate

allocatable \ ˈa-lə-ˌkā-tə-bəl

\ adjective

allocation \ ˌa-lə-ˈkā-shən

\ noun

allocator \ ˈa-lə-ˌkā-tər

\ 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 For others, the move involves triage committees to aid in treatment decisions, or guidance on how to allocate oxygen when it’s in short supply. — Annie Berman, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Oct. 2021 But any concrete decisions on how to allocate the funds are likely months down the road, even though the city first received funds months ago. — Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 Oct. 2021 The Democratic governor has been incrementally rolling out his spending plans ahead of a special legislative session that begins next week, when lawmakers will vote on how to allocate the money from the American Rescue Plan. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 July 2021 The group will then host in-person forums before the Mobile City Council is set to vote on how to allocate the city’s funding in mid-August. — al, 7 July 2021 For example, here in New England, Connecticut lawmakers largely agree that marijuana should be legal, but are getting hung up on how to allocate the money the state makes off of future legal sales. — BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2021 In November, Asheville put on hold a vote on how to allocate $1 million in community reparations to Black residents. — Skylar Mitchell, CNN, 22 Mar. 2021 Money from the sale will be sent to the unallocated reserve budget for the school district, with the school board making a final decision on how to allocate it once the sale closes. — Amber Randall, sun-sentinel.com, 3 Mar. 2021 Once that happens, the organization will have a better handle on how to allocate resources. — cleveland, 27 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allocate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.