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

The operations managers have to monitor dozens of dashboards while responding to technology breakdowns, reallocating resources, and making rapid-fire decisions. —Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025

Over the summer, Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Councilmember David Penaloza proposed canceling several city events to reallocate $1 million toward the emergency fund, but the motion failed to gain enough council support before the July deadline. —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025

Automotive industry suppliers have had to reallocate resources to adapt to the changing demand, which is very different from what was predicted. —Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

The remaining funds are returned to USDA to be reallocated for fiscal year 2026. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above