apportionment

[ uh-pawr-shuhn-muhnt, uh-pohr- ]

noun

1. the act of apportioning.
2. the determination of the number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives according to the proportion of the population of each state to the total population of the U.S.
3. the apportioning of members of any other legislative body.

apportionment

1. The allocation of seats in a legislature or of taxes according to a plan. In the United States Congress , for example, the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is based on the relative population of each state, whereas the apportionment in the Senate is based on equal representation for every state. ( See also gerrymander .)

Other Words From

• nonap·portion·ment noun
• proap·portion·ment adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of apportionment¹

First recorded in 1620–30; apportion + -ment

Example Sentences

We are half-jokingly invited to envision apportionment by race or by income.

From The Daily Beast

Had such an apportionment been in place in 2000, Al Gore would have won the electoral college vote and become president.

From The Daily Beast

The same superiority was accorded to Newport in the apportionment of state officers, five of whom were required to live there.

From Project Gutenberg

The apportionment of blame, or prolonged discussion of the matter, is out of place in a biography of Nelson.

From Project Gutenberg

Evidence was given that the other conspirators had agreed upon the apportionment among themselves of the high offices of State.

From Project Gutenberg

Every difficult question in the apportionment of these separate accounts should be talked over thoroughly.

From Project Gutenberg

It conveys a valuable lesson as to the apportionment of praise and blame.

From Project Gutenberg