distribution

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

Definition of distribution

1a : the act or process of distributing the distribution of leaflets profit distribution the distribution of weightb law : the act or process of apportioning by a court the personal property of an intestate
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 populationb 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3a : something distributed charitable distributions: such as (1) : a sum of money withdrawn from a fund (such as a retirement fund) and given to the beneficiary (see beneficiary 2b) or holder of the fund (2) : dividend 1ab mathematics (1) : frequency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

distributional

play \-shnəl, -shə-n^əl\ 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

For the 2013-16 school years, U of L lists conference distribution of NCAA Tournament revenue that adds up to more than $5.77 million, and the majority of the 2016 report would include revenue from the 2012-15 tournaments.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "How much money would the University of Louisville have to pay back to the NCAA?", 5 July 2017
Event includes uniform and backpack distribution from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fuchs Pavilion, Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center, 10901 SW 24th St., Miami.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "South Florida family events: Kids Day at the MLB FanFest, art events, stage shows", 5 July 2017
Since Apple controlled the user interface, the App Store, pricing, distribution and branding of the iPhone — all of which were given up in the original AT&T deal — there wasn’t much left for the carriers besides the network, said Gröne.

— rachel sandler, USA TODAY, "How the iPhone changed the telecommunications industry", 4 July 2017
The Gazprom project, known as Nord Stream 2, also will allow for deliveries elsewhere in Europe, making Germany an even more important hub for distributions across the continent.

— weixin zha, Bloomberg.com, "Germany Is Addicted to Russian Gas", 3 July 2017
The pipeline moves oil from western North Dakota to a distribution point in Illinois.

— russell contreras, chicagotribune.com, "July Fourth holiday brings mixed feelings for minorities", 2 July 2017
Distribution of the high school Chromebooks will take place when students pick up their textbooks and class schedules.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Plans under way for new year of Chromebook technology in schools", 30 June 2017
The Senate bill would cut taxes by $180 annually for a family in the bottom fifth of the income distribution and by $280 for one in the middle fifth, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center determined this week.

— ronald brownstein, The Atlantic, "Why the GOP's Plan for Health Care Hit a Wall", 28 June 2017
Jameel's family owns Abdul Latif Jameel, a distribution company for Toyota Motors in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, People reports.

— harper's bazaar staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Identity of Rihanna's Mystery Man Has Been Revealed", 28 June 2017

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 Defined for English Language Learners

distribution

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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

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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

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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

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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 Editor's 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