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

But committee co-chairs said in statements Friday that the time allotted to hear testimony was plenty. —Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026

Only 4,000 people are approved yearly, and about 500 of those are allotted to people in detention. —Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026

Michigan school districts are allotted six days that can be used to cancel school for emergency reasons. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

Because of a storm coming in, the runners had to depart at around seven hours in, about an hour before the time allotted for the marathon. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 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