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allotment

noun
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al·​lot·​ment | \ ə-ˈlät-mənt How to pronounce allotment (audio) \

Definition of allotment

1 : the act of allotting something : apportionment The allotment of a full page in the newspaper to each candidate is fair.
2 : something that is allotted an allotment of time especially, chiefly British : a plot of land let to an individual for cultivation
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Examples of allotment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While the national average in federal assistance per patient was $160,286, Michigan’s allotment was just $31,045 per patient. — Detroit Free Press, "Report: Michigan hospitals shorted $130K per COVID-19 patient in federal aid," 24 June 2020 A couple weeks ago, Sergine sold the family’s $509 monthly food stamp allotment. — Washington Post, "The pandemic hit and this car became home for a family of four.," 6 June 2020 Therefore, the Council of Juvenile Court Judges can slash the allotment by $128,549, accounting for most of its 14 percent reduction. — Nyamekye Daniel, Washington Examiner, "Proposed budget reductions could lead to delays in Georgia courts," 2 June 2020 The state received its second allotment from the Strategic National Stockpile of supplies, which included truckloads of gowns, masks, gloves and face shields. — Elizabeth Depompei, Indianapolis Star, "Coronavirus in Indiana: What we learned Wednesday from governor's press conference," 25 Mar. 2020 But many states, worried that their case counts are about to soar and their hospitals will be swamped, have been unsatisfied with their allotment. — Mike Spies, ProPublica, "Here’s Why Florida Got All the Emergency Medical Supplies It Requested While Other States Did Not," 20 Mar. 2020 In December, Pragya Thakur, a terror accused and a BJP parliamentarian from Bhopal, was locked in an argument on seat allotment with passengers on-board a SpiceJet flight. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, "A comedian heckles a “nationalist” news anchor—and riles the Indian government," 28 Jan. 2020 That involves about 18,000 permits and leases on more than 21,000 grazing allotments. — Keith Ridler, The Denver Post, "Colorado and other states sue U.S. for details about impact of grazing program," 25 Sep. 2019 That involves about 18,000 permits and leases on more than 21,000 grazing allotments. — Keith Ridler, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Group sues US for details about impact of grazing program," 25 Sep. 2019

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

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First Known Use of allotment

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for allotment

borrowed from Anglo-French alotement, from aloter "to allot" + -ment -ment

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Time Traveler for allotment

Time Traveler

The first known use of allotment was circa 1530

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Statistics for allotment

Last Updated

28 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Allotment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allotment. Accessed 4 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for allotment

allotment

noun
How to pronounce allotment (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of allotment

: an amount of something given to someone to use or have
: the act of allotting something
British : a small area of land that a person can rent to use as a garden

See the full definition for allotment in the English Language Learners Dictionary

allotment

noun
al·​lot·​ment | \ ə-ˈlät-mənt How to pronounce allotment (audio) \

Kids Definition of allotment

1 : the act of giving out as a share or portion Her allotment of five minutes for a turn was fair.
2 : an amount of something that is given out as a share or portion You get a large allotment of crayons.

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More from Merriam-Webster on allotment

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for allotment

Spanish Central: Translation of allotment

Nglish: Translation of allotment for Spanish Speakers

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