allot

verb

al·​lot ə-ˈlät 

allotted; allotting

transitive verb

1

: to assign as a share or portion

allot 10 minutes for the speech

2

: to distribute by or as if by lot

allot seats to the press

allotter noun

Synonyms of allot

• allocate
• assign
• distribute
• lot

Examples of allot in a Sentence

Each speaker will be allotted 15 minutes.

The newspaper will allot a full page to each of the three mayoral candidates.

Recent Examples on the Web

States will be angling for extra federal money Congress guaranteed all states a share of the $200 million allotted for Medicaid work and eligibility changes. —David A. Lieb, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026

Congress guaranteed all states a share of the $200 million allotted for Medicaid work and eligibility changes. —ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026

Transportation officials say drivers should plan ahead and allot extra time for travel. —Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Only 4,800 two-day tickets will be allotted at the event’s temporary home of Laurel Park, according to 1/ST Racing and Gaming, the company responsible for putting on the race. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alotten, borrowed from Anglo-French aloter, from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + -loter, verbal derivative of lot "lot, portion, share," borrowed from Old Low Franconian *hlota-, going back to Germanic *hluta- — more at lot entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for allot

• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot
• distraught

Kids Definition

allot

verb

al·​lot ə-ˈlät 

allotted; allotting

: to assign as a share or portion

allot 10 minutes for the speech