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

The drone formation could then redistribute those responsibilities if one aircraft becomes unavailable. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Shampooing only once can sometimes redistribute buildup rather than fully removing it. — Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

Less experienced workers improved the most, showing that AI can redistribute experience as well as automate tasks. — Michael Tyrimos, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Washington wants surplus countries to reduce their surpluses by redistributing income to the household sector. — Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 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