allocation
Americannoun
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the act of allocating; apportionment.
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the state of being allocated.
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the share or portion allocated.
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Accounting. a system of dividing expenses and incomes among the various branches, departments, etc., of a business.
noun
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the act of allocating or the state of being allocated
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a part that is allocated; share
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accounting a system of dividing overhead expenses between the various departments of a business
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social welfare (in a Social Services Department) the process of assigning referrals to individual workers, thus changing their status to cases
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of allocation
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin allocātiōn- (stem of allocātiō ), equivalent to allocāt(us) ( see allocate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If it is your job to decide how much money goes to three charities, you are in charge of the allocation of your donation. The money each charity gets is their allocation. You'll often hear this word used when talking about things like government funding. People often debate the allocation of federal funds. Should tax dollars be used for the military, or for domestic needs like education and healthcare? These decisions are made by Congress and the President, who work together to create a budget to allocate funds appropriately.
Vocabulary lists containing allocation
Dwight D. Eisenhower, "The Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)
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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.
The group reviews the order book line by line in an allocation process that can stretch for hours.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
That meant all-rounders Kemp and Gibson had to bowl their full allocation, both conceding 34 from four wicketless overs, while Issy Wong went for 24 from her three.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
But to meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, the EU plans to gradually phase out free allocation.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Securing an allocation to a high-profile company like SpaceX before it goes public can be a challenge even for institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals, Coltman told MarketWatch during an interview.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Maddie’s egg allocation amounted to one per week.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
