allocation

American  

[al-uh-key-shuhn] / ˌæl əˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of allocating; apportionment.

2. the state of being allocated.

3. the share or portion allocated.

4. Accounting. a system of dividing expenses and incomes among the various branches, departments, etc., of a business.

---

Other Word Forms

• allocative adjective
• deallocation noun
• reallocation noun
• suballocation noun

Etymology

Origin of allocation

First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin allocātiōn- (stem of allocātiō ), equivalent to allocāt(us) ( allocate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

He expects bookings to remain pressured in the near term due to a shift toward shorter contracts and a lower initial average order size from discount allocation.

From Barron's

His clients typically have an average net worth of around $25 million, and he often recommends a roughly 5% allocation to private credit.

From The Wall Street Journal

Capital allocation to date has been validated with strong unit economics, the note says.

From The Wall Street Journal

While gold can diversify portfolios, advisors prioritize stocks and bonds for long-term growth, suggesting gold ETFs for small allocations.

From Barron's

As of 2026, the latest UK Sport funding allocation of just under £2m has been presented as a total for short track, figure and long track speed skating.

From BBC

Related Words

• allotment
• appropriation
• quota
• share