apportion

play

verb ap·por·tion \ ə-ˈpȯr-shən \

Definition of apportion

apportioned; apportioning play \-sh(ə-)niŋ\

transitive verb

:to divide and share out according to a plan; especially :to make a proportionate division or distribution of

Representatives are apportioned among the states.

—

apportionable

play \-shə-nə-bəl\ adjective

See apportion defined for English-language learners

See apportion defined for kids

Examples of apportion in a Sentence

The proceeds from the auction will be apportioned among the descendents.
Apportion the expenses between the parties involved.
The agency apportions water from the lake to residents.

Recent Examples of apportion from the Web

The $3 million was apportioned among the 167 clients.

— mará rose williams, kansascity, "Wright Career College fraud lawsuit has paid out $3 million to former students," 25 Aug. 2017
Congress has declined to apportion federal funds for the memorial, but Kevin Gover, director of the National Museum of the American Indian, is unbowed.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "A New Memorial Will Soon Honor the Heroism of Native American Veterans," 9 Aug. 2017
Now under the 2017 funding, finalized by Congress in May, HOPWA has awarded $320.4 million to qualifying states and local jurisdictions to be apportioned primarily based on their share of the total number of people living with the virus.

— carmen heredia rodriguez, Kaiser Health News, "Congress Revamps Housing Program To Benefit Areas Where HIV Is Spreading," 7 Aug. 2017
If work was apportioned in a gender-equal way, economic well-being would increase, as would productivity (by as much as 5.4 percent per hour, according to Bloomberg).

— maggie mallon, Glamour, "The Economy Would Be Better If Men Did More Work Around the House, Says a New Report," 2 Aug. 2017
Blame might be apportioned elsewhere as well, but May must take the bulk of it.

— noah daponte-smith, National Review, "Slouching Towards Brexit," 31 July 2017
The Securities and Exchange Commission sent letters to numerous hedge funds several weeks ago seeking information about how the managers apportion shares of initial public offerings, the person said.

— dave michaels, WSJ, "SEC Inspecting How Hedge Funds Dole Out Hot IPO Shares Among Clients," 30 June 2017
Blame for the incident should be apportioned appropriately, falling especially on the bureaucrats for their dereliction of duty, but not sparing the designers whose missteps had dogged the building for so long.

— ian volner, The Atlantic, "The Legacy and Lessons of Grenfell Tower," 19 June 2017
Required by law, the decennial census of every United States resident has occurred every decade since 1790 and serves as the basis for apportioning seats in the House of Representatives.

— linda qiu, New York Times, "Fact Check: These Statements by Trump’s Cabinet Don’t Match Policy," 13 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of apportion

Middle French apportionner, from a- (from Latin ad-) + portionner to portion

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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apportion Synonyms

Synonyms

allocate, allow, allot, assign, distribute, lot, ration

Antonyms

misallocate

Related Words

admeasure, administer, deal, dispense, divide, dole out, hand out, measure, mete (out), meter, parcel (out), part, portion, prorate, share (out), split; accord, award, give, grant; earmark, reserve; chip in, contribute, donate; reallocate, reapportion, reassign, redistribute

Near Antonyms

begrudge, deny, deprive (of); keep, retain, stint, withhold; appropriate, arrogate, confiscate

APPORTION Defined for English Language Learners

apportion

play

verb

Definition of apportion for English Language Learners

: to divide (something) among or between people : to give (a part of something) to a number of people

Law Dictionary

apportion

play

transitive verb ap·por·tion \ ə-ˈpȯr-shən \

legal Definition of apportion

:to make a usually proportionate division or distribution of (an amount due) according to a plan: as

a :to divide (an amount due in tax or other liability) among the parties responsible for respective shares of the payment — compare contribution

b :to assign (a portion of the consideration agreed to in a contract) as payment for the other party's partial performance

c :to distribute (corporate dividends) based on some proportion

d :to assign (legislative representatives and taxes) among the states as provided by law

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apportionable

adjective

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apportionment

noun

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See words that rhyme with apportion Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for apportion Spanish Central: Translation of apportion Nglish: Translation of apportion for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of apportion for Arabic speakers

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apportion

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APPORTION Defined for English Language Learners

apportion

Definition of apportion for English Language Learners

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apportion

legal Definition of apportion

apportionable

apportionment

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