redistribute

verb

re·​dis·​trib·​ute ˌrē-də-ˈstri-ˌbyüt 

also -byət

redistributed; redistributing; redistributes

transitive verb

1

: to alter the distribution of : reallocate

2

: to spread to other areas

redistribution

(ˌ)rē-ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən 

noun

redistributional

(ˌ)rē-ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

redistributive

ˌrē-də-ˈstri-byü-tiv 

-byə-

adjective

Examples of redistribute in a Sentence

Unused federal funds will be redistributed to other states.

The government redistributed the land to the settlers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just dialing up the rate of dark matter–baryon interactions reshapes the halo from the inside out, redistributing mass in the galaxy’s core in under a billion years. —Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. —Arkansas Online, 6 May 2026

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 May 2026

Britain didn’t withdraw, but its Royal Navy gradually redistributed its ships. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for redistribute

• contribute
• distribute
• tribute

Kids Definition

redistribute

verb

re·​dis·​trib·​ute ˌrē-də-ˈstrib-yət 

1

: to change the distribution of

2

: to spread to other areas

redistribution

-ˌdis-trə-ˈbyü-shən 

noun