allocation

[al-uh-key-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of allocating; apportionment.

2. the state of being allocated.

3. the share or portion allocated.

4. Accounting.,  a system of dividing expenses and incomes among the various branches, departments, etc., of a business.

Other Word Forms

• allocative adjective
• deallocation noun
• reallocation noun
• suballocation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of allocation¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin allocātiōn- (stem of allocātiō ), equivalent to allocāt(us) ( allocate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Most questions from the Republican senators focused on brush clearance, prescribed burns, evacuations and the allocation of state and local funds.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If you’re more aggressive — and having hundreds of millions of dollars can potentially afford you some latitude — you can increase the stock allocation, advisers say.

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In an era when institutional investors are slowing allocations to private equity, firms are being forced to either scale up or remain small and focused to compete.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The recent drop in crypto prices isn’t denting enthusiasm from wealthy and professional investors to boost allocations.

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"The shape of growth curves emerges directly from the physics of resource allocation inside cells, rather than depending on any particular biochemical reaction," explains Hatakeyama.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• allotment 
• appropriation 
• quota 
• share