allotment

American  

[uh-lot-muhnt] / əˈlɒt mənt /

noun

• allotments
  plural

1. the act of allotting.

2. a portion or thing allotted; a share granted.

   Synonyms:

   ration, lot, measure

3. (in U.S. military use) the portion of pay that an officer or enlisted person authorizes to be paid directly to another person, as a dependent, or an institution, as an insurance company.

4. British. a plot of land rented to a gardener.

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allotment British  

/ əˈlɒtmənt /

noun

1. the act of allotting; apportionment

2. a portion or amount allotted

3. a small piece of usually public land rented by an individual for cultivation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misallotment
  noun
• nonallotment
  noun
• reallotment
  noun
• proallotment
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• allotments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of allotment

First recorded in 1565–75; allot + -ment; compare French allotement

Explanation

Say you’re stranded on an island with a group of people and you divide your limited food supply. The portion you each receive is your share, also called your allotment. No fighting over the coconuts! The word allotment shows how languages intertwined through the ages. We can see the word's origins in several languages, including the Old English hlot, the Gothic hlauts, the Old High German hloz, and the Old French aloter. All referred to dividing something into groups, or “lots.” A "lot" refers to a group of things — stores refer to shipments of goods as being divided into “lots.” That idea of grouping will help you remember the meaning of allotment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

allotment allotments

"People are also fascinated with our little walled allotment, I call that my mini woodland," she said.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

At least 30,500 Londoners are on allotment waiting lists, with 16 boroughs closed to new applicants, according to a 2023 Freedom of Information request published by Greenpeace.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

At the current pace, that allotment could run out in early September, leaving the reserve at about 243 million barrels, far below its 2009 peak of more than 700 million barrels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

What if, after your 10-minute daily allotment, you are captivated and feel compelled to read further?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Henry Roan was killed on an Osage allotment that hadn’t been sold to whites; moreover, the Osage property owner was under guardianship and considered a ward of the federal government.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

It allows for harsh water cutbacks if deemed necessary, potentially requiring California, Arizona and Nevada to cut up to 3 million acre-feet per year — up to 40% of the combined allotments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

The 10-year federal framework will enable much larger cutbacks if deemed necessary in future years — as much as 40% of the combined allotments of California, Arizona and Nevada.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The restrictions mean, from Thursday, hosepipes should not be used for watering gardens or allotments, cleaning cars, filling paddling pools or swimming pools, or cleaning windows.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

She notes that the discount banner brands have eliminated their high-tier plans, reduced prices and increased data allotments, mirroring last year’s promotions, but with more emphasis on data-allotment increases this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

"Mother says she wanted the whole court to preview our new line of scents, just in time for the queen's presentation of toilette-box allotments for the new year."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• allocation
• allowance
• appropriation
• quota
• ration