distribution

noun dis·tri·bu·tion \ ˌdis-trə-ˈbyü-shən \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of distribution

1 a : the act or process of distributing

the distribution of leaflets

profit distribution

the distribution of weight

b law : the act or process of apportioning by a court the personal property of an intestate

2 a : 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

3 a : 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(1) : a sum of money withdrawn from a fund (such as a retirement fund) and given to the beneficiary (see beneficiary 2b) or holder of the fund

(2) : dividend 1a

b mathematics

(1) : frequency distribution

(2) : probability function

(3) : probability density function 2

4 anatomy : the pattern of branching and termination (see termination 4) of a ramifying structure (such as a nerve)

5 business : the marketing or merchandising of commodities

keeping track of distribution costs

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distributional

play \-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See distribution defined for English-language learners

See distribution defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of distribution from the Web

Husbands, as the titular holder of the family money, often stepped in to deal with distribution, Kealing says, but the selling belonged to the dealers.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The Story of Brownie Wise, the Ingenious Marketer Behind the Tupperware Party," 11 Apr. 2018
The label has a catalog of nineteen successful titles, each with international distribution.

— community report, Houston Chronicle, "Award-winning pianist to perform concert in Coldspring," 8 Apr. 2018
Difo and Lugo-Guzman were charged with distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to violate drug laws, and Vroom and Lemieux were charged with possession of fentanyl and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

— elise takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "Four arrested on fentanyl distribution charges at North Andover Mall," 6 Apr. 2018
Brakes, front/rear: Disc/disc, antilock, with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "All-new Kona small crossover joins Hyundai lineup, starting at $19,500 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 31 Mar. 2018
More: Metro Detroit roads are bad, but the cost to fix them is the real shocker With the distribution, Macomb County would get $4.4 million, Oakland County would receive $7 million and Wayne County would get $6.4 million.

— paul egan, Detroit Free Press, "Snyder: To fix roads, we must hike federal gas tax," 20 Mar. 2018
Beyond the musicians, Central Florida is home to more than 20 record labels working to make the region a hub of music production in everything from recording to distribution.

— trevor fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando-based record labels run on contacts, passion," 18 Mar. 2018
Indianapolis police said a subsequent investigation led them to several drug houses connected to the distribution of spice mixed with an unknown chemical.

— robert scheer, Indianapolis Star, "'Think what it’s doing to your brain': Using bug spray to get high," 18 Mar. 2018
On the other side of the mobile aisle, Apple makes a compelling smartphone, with worldwide distribution and marketing to back it up, but users are largely unwilling to jump between ecosystems; partisanship has taken over the smartphone market.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Galaxy S9+ review—Faster specs, better biometrics in a familiar package," 15 Mar. 2018

These 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.

First Known Use of distribution

14th century

distribution Synonyms

DISTRIBUTION Defined for English Language Learners

distribution

noun

Definition of distribution for English Language Learners

: 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

DISTRIBUTION Defined for Kids

distribution

noun dis·tri·bu·tion \ ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən \

Definition of distribution for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

distribution

noun dis·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)

Law Dictionary

distribution

noun dis·tri·bu·tion \ ˌdis-trə-ˈbyü-shən \

legal Definition of distribution

1 : the act or process of distributing: as

a : the apportionment by a court of the property and especially personal property of an intestate among those entitled to it according to statute — compare descent, devise

Note: The laws dealing with intestate succession are often called laws of descent and distribution.

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

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