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 remaining funds are returned to USDA to be reallocated for fiscal year 2026. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025

States Say Huge Cuts Arbitrary In the new case, the suing states—led by Illinois and joined by California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and others—say DHS responded to Smith’s ruling by abruptly reallocating hundreds of millions of dollars away from them. —Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Louisville officials now have more than $5 million to reallocate. —Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Sep. 2025

This approach is designed to allow WB to reallocate resources more efficiently, capitalize on local market partners and better position English-language content in a competitive theatrical marketplace. —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above