allocation

[al-uh-key-shuhn]

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of allocation¹

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

Example Sentences

The report said, “Housing market conditions…may be shifting the allocation of savings, making financial assets like stocks relatively more attractive or accessible than home equity.”

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Investors need to prepare for volatility, profit from dislocations, hedge carefully and direct allocations toward structural winners rather than macro timing.

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So let’s quickly run through some cherry-picked warning signs before ignoring them and sticking with our carefully planned allocations.

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That’s a pointed response to the Administration’s theme that signatories must commit to elevating merit and objective measures of accomplishment everywhere from university admissions to grade allocation.

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“Passive investing now dominates the allocation of investment capital,” they write.

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Related Words

• allotment 
• appropriation 
• quota 
• share