allot

verb

al·​lot ə-ˈlät How to pronounce allot (audio)
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

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
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.
For a three-year period, through the next fiscal year, California has been allotted funding worth more than $18.2 million, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 Differing budget plans passed by the state House and Senate this year both would start allotting sports betting tax revenue to the athletic programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. David A. Lieb, Twin Cities, 17 June 2025 Past management teams have cut down on the labor allotted to stores, helping profit margins at the cost of burning out baristas and slowing service. Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 June 2025 The bill also allots an additional $60 million in the next two fiscal years for school districts to expand in-district special education services. Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for allot

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of allot was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Allot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allot. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

allot

verb
al·​lot ə-ˈlät How to pronounce allot (audio)
allotted; allotting
: to assign as a share or portion
allot 10 minutes for the speech

More from Merriam-Webster on allot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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