Synonyms

apportion

American

[uh-pawr-shuhn, uh-pohr-] / əˈpɔr ʃən, əˈpoʊr- /

verb (used with object)

to distribute or allocate proportionally; divide and assign according to some rule of proportional distribution.

to apportion expenses among the three men.

apportion British

/ əˈpɔːʃən /

verb

(tr) to divide, distribute, or assign appropriate shares of; allot proportionally

to apportion the blame

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

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Past

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Etymology

Origin of apportion

1565–75; < Middle French apportionner, equivalent to ap- ap- ¹ + portionner to portion

Explanation

To apportion is to divide something into shares and hand it out. With 11 guests at your birthday party, it makes sense to cut the cake into 12 slices and apportion one to each — leaving one slice for you! The verb apportion means "allocate" or "divvy up," and it's often used to talk about the way money is distributed. For example, your parents might evenly apportion an allowance to each of their children, or apportion slightly less money to your youngest sibling. In government, power is also apportioned in various ways, as when laws apportion a certain number of congressional representatives to each state.

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Vocabulary lists containing apportion

The Legislative Branch, Sections 1–3

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In the Shadow of Liberty

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She taught them about the matching system and how to apportion their savings to get the most out of it.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

But it’s hard if not impossible to prove that social media caused any given individual’s troubles, let alone apportion liability among the platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

This is because both citizens and noncitizens are counted in the census and this data is then used to apportion seats.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2024

It would be harsh to apportion blame for the position they found themselves at lunch.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024

Rationales for still other ways to apportion the money are possible.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023