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dis·tri·bu·tion | \ ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən 
\
\Definition of distribution
1a : the act or process of distributing the distribution of leaflets profit distribution the distribution of weight
2a : the position, arrangement, or frequency of occurrence (as of the members of a group) over an area or throughout a space or unit of time
the distribution of the country's population
b biology : the natural geographic range of an organism
3a : something distributed
charitable distributions : such as
(1) : a sum of money withdrawn from a fund (such as a retirement fund) and given to the beneficiary (see beneficiary sense 2b) or holder of the fund
(2) : dividend sense 1a
4 anatomy : the pattern of branching and termination (see termination sense 4) of a ramifying structure (such as a nerve)
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Other Words from distribution
distributional \ ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shnəl , -shə-nᵊl \ adjective
, -shə-nᵊl \ adjective
Examples of distribution in a Sentence
The group collects food and clothing for distribution to needy families.
The distribution of paychecks will happen every other Friday.
The university does not permit distribution of leaflets on campus.
She was responsible for product distribution.
The company handles the distribution of goods to stores nationwide.
He complained that the distribution of work was unfair.
He studies the distributions of wildcats in North America.
The new design provides better weight distribution.
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Recent Examples on the Web But the distribution of relief money is coming under heightened scrutiny after the Trump administration initially refused to reveal which companies received loans, only to cave under growing bipartisan pressure from Congress.
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Washington Post, "Trump donors among early recipients of coronavirus loans," 7 July 2020 But the distribution of relief money is coming under heightened scrutiny after the Trump administration initially refused to reveal which companies received loans, only to cave under growing bipartisan pressure from Congress.
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Brian Slodysko, Anchorage Daily News, "Big Trump donors were among the very earliest recipients of pandemic-relief loans," 7 July 2020 More than 350 residents participated Tuesday (June 30) in the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box distribution of fresh produce held at Lakewood High School.
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John Benson, cleveland, "Lakewood residents come out in droves to receive fresh produce donation," 1 July 2020 But the distribution has been beset by glitches - including checks sent to dead people.
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Michelle Singletary, BostonGlobe.com, "No, the IRS should not try to claw back $1.4 billion sent to dead people.," 28 June 2020 The distribution is based on decades of landing data, and the East Coast has traditionally been the side with the most fishing pressure.
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Matt Wyatt, ExpressNews.com, "Red snapper: A conservation success story," 27 June 2020 The fair and transparent distribution of an effective Covid-19 vaccine is paramount.
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Kathryn Stephenson, STAT, "Covid-19 vaccine research must involve Black and Latinx participants. Here are 4 ways to make that happen," 26 June 2020 Human nature never really changes, but the distribution of human wealth certainly does.
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Aaron Back, WSJ, "Pandemic Real Estate Boom? Medieval History Says Yes," 26 June 2020 The absurdity, greed and incompetence surrounding the distribution of coronavirus-era masks has taken me to Chicago, California and, now, Texas.
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J. David Mcswane, ProPublica, "He Removed Labels That Said “Medical Use Prohibited,” Then Tried to Sell Thousands of Masks to Officials Who Distribute to Hospitals," 25 June 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distribution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for distribution
distribution
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of distribution
: the act of giving or delivering something to people
: the act of delivering something to a store or business
: the way that something is divided or spread out
See the full definition for distribution in the English Language Learners Dictionary
distribution
noundis·tri·bu·tion | \ ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən \
\Kids Definition of distribution
1 : the act of giving out or delivering to
2 : the way things are divided or spread out
She studies the distribution of wildcats in the area.
3 : something given out or delivered to or divided among
distribution
noundis·tri·bu·tion | \ ˌdis-trə-ˈbyü-shən \
\Medical Definition of distribution
: the pattern of branching and termination of a ramifying anatomical structure (as a nerve or artery)
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distribution
noundis·tri·bu·tion | \ ˌdis-trə-ˈbyü-shən \
\Legal Definition of distribution
1 : the act or process of distributing: as
b : the payment or transfer to a beneficiary of interest to which he or she is entitled under a trust
c : the transfer by a corporation or mutual fund of money or property to a shareholder in his or her capacity as a shareholder
d : the initial offering to the public of a security by a corporation
e : the delivery of a controlled substance
2 : something distributed
Other Words from distribution
distributive \ di-ˈstri-byu̇-tiv \ adjective
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Comments on distribution
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Time Traveler for distribution
The first known use of distribution was in the 14th century
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