allot
Americanverb
-
to assign or distribute (shares, etc)
-
to designate for a particular purpose
money was allotted to cover expenses
-
(foll by to) apportion
we allotted two hours to the case
Related Words
See assign.
Other Word Forms
- allottable adjective
- allotter noun
- misallot verb (used with object)
- preallot verb (used with object)
- reallot verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of allot
First recorded in 1425–75; earlier alot, late Middle English alotten, from Middle French aloter, equivalent to a- a- 5 + lot lot (from Germanic ) + -er infinitive suffix
Compare meaning
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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 ladies agree to allot 20 minutes to grousing about their aches and pains, and then they have to move on to some appointed discussion topic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Passive indexes that allot the greatest influence to the biggest companies do nothing to aid in capital allocation for the broader economy, he said.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025
They disagree on how to allot necessary water cuts and other issues, including how much water should be released downstream from Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2025
On Tuesday, Drakeford will allot money for government departments for 2026-27.
From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025
The government wouldn’t allot valuable rations to a dead woman.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
