reallocate

verb

re·​al·​lo·​cate (ˌ)rē-ˈa-lə-ˌkāt 

reallocated; reallocating; reallocates

transitive verb

: to allocate (something) again: such as

a

: to apportion or distribute (something) in a new or different way

The best way to start an overhaul of the nation's statistical system would be to reallocate funds from the Agriculture Department to other agencies.

—Joseph Spiers

b

: to earmark or designate (something) for a new or different purpose

In recent years, many local low-income housing units … have been demolished or reallocated to serve wealthier residents.

—Hannah Russell

reallocation

(ˌ)rē-ˌa-lə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

plural reallocations

… the reallocation of local property taxes from library budgets to school districts …

—Ruth Perry

The reallocation for overflow parking could take away as many as 75 spots from resident students during its allotted hours …

—Emma Reith

Examples of reallocate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If no candidate secures a 50% majority on the first ballot, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their voters' second choices are reallocated, likely to Platner or challenger David Costello. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 June 2026

The hardest strategic decisions increasingly involve clean sheet thinking, founder-mentality vision, portfolio choices and reallocating capital, talent, and leadership attention away from businesses or advantages that may no longer compound value in the same way. —Carolyn Dewar, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Cisco has reallocated resources, prioritizing tokens over other spending. —Jasmine Wu,deirdre Bosa, CNBC, 5 June 2026

With sodium-ion production managing the entry-level automotive sector, CATL is reallocating long-term engineering resources to address the physical bottlenecks of lithium-air technology, aiming at heavy-duty transport and the stabilization of solar and wind electrical grids. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above