allot
Americanverb (used with object)
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allots,
present (3rd person singular)
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allotted,
past participle, past
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allotting
present participle
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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List 1
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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
On Tuesday, Drakeford will allot money for government departments for 2026-27.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025
The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to allot nearly $4 million to remove graffiti and secure an unfinished downtown Los Angeles skyscraper, which has been heavily tagged in recent weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
He doesn’t allot quality time to his relatives either. absence.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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
When you watch the film, you’ll see how selfish the Denzel character is in his space, even how he allots himself an hour of practice, no distractions, every day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2024
Included is a provision that allots $15 million to the IRS to make plans for a free direct e-file tax return system.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
He designates the target, and, when practicable, allots a part of the target to each platoon, as prescribed in par.
From Manual of Military Training Second, Revised Edition by James A. (James Alfred) Moss
This extra funding is drawn down from the state’s general fund — so it adds to the total allotted for education.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Mileva discovered that Madelyn used all of her allotted daily half-hour of iPad time to talk to the chatbot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
And those visits often run over their allotted time, meaning that primary care doctors are often behind.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Researchers at top labs including Alibaba and Z.AI said they are often allotted one-fifth of the high-end chips available to peers at OpenAI and Google.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Each family unit was allotted two children, one of each gender, and she had been the younger.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
States including New York and West Virginia are also allotting emergency funds to support food banks and other meal distribution efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
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
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