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

Recalibrate and communicate benefits around employee needs and value – Over the next three years according to the new survey, more than half (57%) of employers plan to reallocate or rebalance their benefit spending, adding or enhancing some benefits while reducing or removing others. —John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

In many respects this deal is a lot like the 2012 Carl Crawford trade, where the players the Red Sox got back was secondary to the club ridding itself of a negative asset and allowing itself a chance to reallocate the money more effectively. —Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2025

Soucy doesn’t appear to be a top-four solution in New York, which means the $3.25 million committed to him is a figure that the Rangers could seek to reallocate more efficiently. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 21 June 2025

Since taking office, Trump has reallocated law enforcement budgets toward his mass deportation measures, ended a database intended to keep track of terrorism suspects, and cut the FBI team in charge of combating domestic terrorism. —Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above