distributed

American  

[dih-strib-yoo-tid] / dɪˈstrɪb yʊ tɪd /

adjective

1. Computers.

   1. being or relating to a network of devices, workstations, etc., in different locations connected by means of one or more other networks, allowing each member to carry out some or all of the management and processing of the shared information.

      As computers began to connect across the internet, the CPU evolved from being specifically a central control system to become a node within a distributed network.

   2. being or relating to a single database shared across such a network, especially one integrating multiple smaller databases.

      Back then no one was thinking of distributed databases with hundreds of servers working to keep data consistent across the nodes.

2. Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) characterized by relatively extensive contact or constriction between the articulating organs, as the in show in contrast to the in so.

3. Statistics. showing a specified type of distribution.

   A randomly distributed dominant gene has a prevalence of 75 percent.

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Other Word Forms

• undistributed
  adjective
• well-distributed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of distributed

distribute + -ed ²

Explanation

Something is distributed when it's divided up or spread around, the way cupcakes might be distributed among guests at a birthday party. Distributed is a word that's often used to describe the stuff that businesses sell. When a truck pulls up to a convenience store and the driver unloads cases of soda, the soda is being distributed. The driver will go from store to store, distributing all of the soda in the truck between different stores and restaurants. Words and ideas can be distributed too, which is what happens at school when students are lucky.

Example Sentences

Performance and reliability: Distributed GPU networks face inherent challenges with performance variance, latency and quality control.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025

Distributed by Warner Bros. during the typically high-performing holiday movie season, “Rohirrim” only brought in about $4.5 million during its domestic opening weekend, with an expectedly higher international performance.

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2025

Distributed denial of services attacks - or DDoS attacks - are attempts to overload a website to make it hard to use or inaccessible.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2024

Distributed by AMC Theatres, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” collected $96 million in ticket sales during its first four days at the domestic box office — the highest opening ever for a concert film.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2024

Distributed, if need be, into places dark as the bottom of a well.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• appropriated
• assigned
• dispersed
• scattered
• shared