allocate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to assign or allot for a particular purpose
-
a less common word for locate
Related Words
See assign.
Other Word Forms
- allocatable adjective
- allocator noun
- deallocate verb (used with object)
- reallocate verb (used with object)
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.
They also recommend that retail investors allocate only a small percentage of their equity portfolio in emerging-markets ETFs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
The program opens up for applications this week and could allocate up to $12,500 for households of 1-2 people and up to $19,000 for households with five or more members.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
“The first victims are party balloons: you can quite easily allocate less there and deal with a few angry parents,” Kapadia said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
"The international community must take into account the needs of people with disabilities" and allocate a share of the international aid budget to them, he said.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
He looked at his little sister and tried to allocate blame so it all fell on her, but he couldn’t.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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.
