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

Also suggested by the working group was reallocating some funds generated by the Grand Victoria riverboat casino in Elgin to further minimize the budget shortfall. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2025

The project is one of five that Johnson County reallocated money toward last year after Lenexa rejected a years-in-the-making plan to build a homeless shelter using federal COVID relief funds. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2025

Capital flight is also likely to become a rising problem as private equity and institutional investors reallocate capital to more profitable ventures with higher degrees of certainty. —David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025

Even in mathematics, that process of rebuilding is time-intensive and not always possible if the space has been reallocated or the people have moved on. —Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 18 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above