allotted

American  

[uh-lot-id] / əˈlɒt ɪd /

adjective

1. assigned as a portion to some person or group or for some purpose.

   The allotted time for this task is 25 minutes.

2. divided or distributed by share or portion; parceled out.

   Many students have complained about the poorly allotted parking spaces at the university.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of allot.

Other Word Forms

• unallotted adjective
• well-allotted adjective

Etymology

Origin of allotted

allot ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Allotted means given as a share of something. Hopefully you will be happy with your allotted share of candy on Halloween. Something that's allotted is distributed, or shared, like your allotted number of pizza slices. It can also mean your share of a job; on family clean-up day, your allotted task could be taking out the garbage. The Germanic word loter, "lot" or "share," is at the root of allotted. A plus loter form the Old French aloter, "to divide into lots." When you're spelling allotted remember to double up the ls and the ts.

Example Sentences

Pheu Thai was allotted nine minister jobs, including agriculture, labour, education and social development.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum even sent a letter to her South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae Myung, asking that Mexico City get more than its allotted three shows in May.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

In the lab, each person attempted to solve a series of brain teaser puzzles, with three minutes allotted per puzzle.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2026

Within two days, 68% of that amount had already been allotted.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

We were at first allotted a tiny plot of land tucked away behind the tennis courts, next to a toolshed.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• arranged
• fixed
• implanted
• located
• planted
• settled
• situated