allocate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to assign or allot for a particular purpose
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a less common word for locate
Synonym Usage
See assign.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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deallocateverb (used with object)
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allocatornoun
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allocatableadjective
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reallocateverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have allocatedperfect
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has allocatedperfect 3rd person singular
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am allocatingprogressive 1st person singular
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is allocatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been allocatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been allocatingperfect progressive
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are allocatingprogressive
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allocatingparticiple
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allocatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had allocatedperfect
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was allocatingprogressive singular
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were allocatingprogressive plural
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allocatedsimple
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had been allocatingperfect progressive
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allocatedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of allocate
First recorded in 1630–40; from Medieval Latin allocātus (past participle of allocāre ), equivalent to al- al- + loc(us) “place” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To allocate is to set aside a certain amount of money for an expense. You usually hear about the government allocating funds for education or the military, but you may personally allocate some of your allowance to buying comic books. Aside from money, a common thing to allocate is time: "The old woman in the shoe had so many children she could only allocate 2.7 minutes per day to talk to each one individually." Resources are also often allocated. Teachers, for example, are continuously allocating their year's supply of resources so they don't run out of glue sticks and paper before the end of the school year.
Vocabulary lists containing allocate
Grade 9, List 6
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Nothing But the Truth
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It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
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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.
That’s a significant portion of the offering, and a departure from most IPOs, which typically allocate only about 5% to 10% of shares to individual investors, according to Fidelity’s website.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
"Our findings suggest that the fundamental rules that guide how individuals allocate social effort apply across multiple species," says Van Leeuwen.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Buyers now allocate 42% of their incomes to housing costs, according to the Burns Affordability Index, which is calculated based on a 10% down payment on a median-priced existing home.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
He says he plans to allocate up to 19.3% of the company to former investors.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
These people whose job it was to allocate capital apparently didn’t even know how to manage their own.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
