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3a : something distributed charitable distributions: such as (1) : a sum of money withdrawn from a fund (such as a retirement fund) and given to the beneficiary (see beneficiary 2b) or holder of the fund (2) : dividend 1ab mathematics (1) : frequency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
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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.
14th Century
First Known Use of distribution
14th century
DISTRIBUTION Defined for English Language Learners
distribution
playDefinition of distribution for English Language Learners
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: the act of giving or delivering something to people
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: the act of delivering something to a store or business
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: the way that something is divided or spread out
DISTRIBUTION Defined for Kids
distribution
playDefinition 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
playMedical Definition of distribution
: the pattern of branching and termination of a ramifying anatomical structure (as a nerve or artery)
Law Dictionary
distribution
playLegal 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
Learn More about distribution
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See words that rhyme with distribution Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for distribution Spanish Central: Translation of distribution Nglish: Translation of distribution for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of distribution for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about distribution
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