distributed

adjective

dis·​trib·​ut·​ed di-ˈstri-byü-təd 

also -byə-

British also ˈdi-stri-ˌbyü-

1

: characterized by a statistical distribution of a particular kind

a normally distributed random variable

2

computing : having at least some of the processing done by the individual workstations and having information shared by and often stored at the workstations

a distributed network

… makes it possible to take massive tasks and spread them out over a large number of personal computers—a practice called distributed computing.

—J. Bonasia

Examples of distributed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Microsoft’s Fairwater data centers address this by functioning as a single, distributed system. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025

Toward Greener and More Efficient Computing Large distributed networks pull a lot of energy, leading to higher electric bills and greater strain on power grids. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

This bandwidth-first approach enables distributed architectures positioned closer to business operations while maintaining competitive AI capabilities without premium speed optimization costs—critical as infrastructure spending scales enterprise-wide. —Daniel Kearney, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Jiang says the researchers are now looking at developing sensor-rich robotic swarms capable of distributed detection, decision-making, and collective behavior. —IEEE Spectrum, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing distributed

• distributed denial of service
• evenly distributed
• widely distributed

Rhymes for distributed

• attributed