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

• allocate
• allow
• apportion
• assign
• distribute
• lot
• ration

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

Eventually, we were allotted five dollars a month by a court, just enough to cover our expenses at my grandparents’ place. —Al Pacino, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024

Members of the network pool — ABC, NBC/MSNBC, CBS, CNN and Fox — are allotted 80,000 square feet each, while other media outlets have grabbed smaller chunks of asphalt. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2024

One judge will be allotted a Golden Buzzer during each round of the quarterfinals, giving them the opportunity to send an act directly to the finals. —Holly V. Hays, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Aug. 2024

Delaying retirement until age 70 can allot up to $4,873 per month. —Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Aug. 2024

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

Kids Definition

allot

verb

al·​lot ə-ˈlät 

allotted; allotting

: to assign as a share or portion

allot 10 minutes for the speech