allot

American

[uh-lot] / əˈlɒt /

verb (used with object)

allotted, allotting

to divide or distribute by share or portion; distribute or parcel out; apportion.

to allot the available farmland among the settlers.
to appropriate for a special purpose.

to allot money for a park.
to assign as a portion; set apart; dedicate.

allot British

/ əˈlɒt /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

How does allot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

allot vs. a lot

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.

Wolf Alice, winning best group, used their allotted stage time to make a plea for the "pubs, clubs and grassroots venues where we quite literally learned to play our instruments and write our songs".

From BBC

Focusing on McCartney’s first decade in the wake of The Beatles’ disbandment, Neville allots significant attention to the musician’s grit and determination during the formation of Wings, which underwent several lineup changes in the 1970s.

From Salon

Reiner, the third of Rob Reiner's four children, is now receiving the kind of publicly funded legal representation allotted to defendants who cannot pay their own fees.

From BBC

I opted for a $100 annual plan that allots me two terabytes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under gargantuan pressure, she clinched the sole Olympic women’s figure skating berth allotted to Russia to compete as an Individual Neutral Athlete.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023