allot
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to assign or distribute (shares, etc)
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to designate for a particular purpose
money was allotted to cover expenses
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(foll by to) apportion
we allotted two hours to the case
Synonym Usage
See assign.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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allotternoun
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misallotverb (used with object)
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preallotverb (used with object)
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reallotverb (used with object)
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allottableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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allotsimple
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allotssimple
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have allottedperfect
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has allottedperfect
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am allottingprogressive
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are allottingprogressive
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is allottingprogressive
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have been allottingperfect progressive
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has been allottingperfect progressive
Past
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allottedsimple
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had allottedperfect
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was allottingprogressive
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were allottingprogressive
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had been allottingperfect progressive
Future
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:
Explanation
When you allot something, you are giving out portions: “Becky was able to allot five snacks per employee, but in the afternoon some workers sneaked back into the break room for more.” Be careful not to mistake allot for “a lot” (a large number), which has a similar spelling and the same pronunciation. Use the verb allot when you need to describe the act of assigning portions of something — be it snacks, time, or blame. The word is often used in the sense of an official group, such as a government or a corporation, dividing up and distributing small portions of something desirable, such as funding, shares, or land: “Zenitech Corporation was able to allot land rights to four groups in the area.”
Vocabulary lists containing allot
Fahrenheit 451
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Beowulf vocabulary
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List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Let’s say you allot another $1,000 for furniture.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
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
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
But the equal-weighted version of the index allots an equal weighting to each stock in the index, making it a better gauge of how the average S&P 500 stock is doing.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
I opted for a $100 annual plan that allots me two terabytes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
The Oscars are notorious for running well over the three-and-a-half-hour time period ABC allots for the telecast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2025
It also allots $95 million a year to the U.S.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
He allots it to the visitor of the district to which the applicant belongs, for his name and address are on this paper.
From The Story of the Great Fire in St. John, N.B., June 20th, 1877 by Stewart, George
The Lakers signed former Vanderbilt forward AJ Okereke to a two-way contract on Sunday, filling their allotted three two-way deals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
That’s mainly due to the NBA’s rising salary cap, the allotted fund used to pay players on each team, which was $70 million 10 years ago and is now $165 million.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
In her return to Golden State, Sparks development player Kate Martin was the lone player with a positive plus/minus at plus-five in the ninth of her 12 allotted games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
It first operated from the Coronation Grounds in Civil Lines, serving British administrators and military officers, before being allotted its present site on Safdarjung Road in 1928.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
In moments, my brother has created a plan for cleaning the house, broken down by task, time allotted, and which kid is doing what.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Ferrari is in the enviable position of allotting Purosangue sales to its well-regarded clients, collectors and other Friends of Enzo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Seventy-three percent of consumers nationally said they are concerned about rising prices for everyday purchases and are allotting higher budgets for nondiscretionary expenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
The Senate has proposed allotting $12 million in its capital budget to the facility.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2024
This comes on the heels of Congress allotting funds for the department's "Food is Medicine" effort, created in order to "develop a federal strategy to reduce nutrition-related chronic illnesses."
From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2024
After some prodding by Dad, the motion on allotting work finally was introduced and passed.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
