allot

[ uh-lot ]

See synonyms for: allot allots allotted allotting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),al·lot·ted, al·lot·ting.

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.

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

synonym study For allot

1. See assign.

Other words from allot

al·lot·ta·ble, adjective
al·lot·ter, noun
mis·al·lot, verb (used with object), mis·al·lot·ted, mis·al·lot·ting.
pre·al·lot, verb (used with object), pre·al·lot·ted, pre·al·lot·ting.
re·al·lot, verb (used with object), re·al·lot·ted, re·al·lot·ting.

Words that may be confused with allot

a lot, allot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use allot in a sentence

For starters, people aren’t leaving their homes as much — and for that reason, the money they’ve allotted to electronics purchases has gone toward things like PCs, as they’ve shifted to a remote work set-up.
Not even 5G could rescue smartphone sales in 2020 | Brian Heater | December 24, 2020 | TechCrunch
Some Pfizer vials, which are typically filled with five doses of the vaccine, hold more than the allotted amount, the FDA said via Twitter on December 16.
How does the newly authorized Moderna COVID-19 vaccine compare to Pfizer’s? | Erin Garcia de Jesus | December 19, 2020 | Science News
In court, Sherrick has accused Page of using visits to doctors and hospitals as an excuse to keep the boys longer than her allotted parenting time.
The Family Court Judge Who Threatened a Mother With Contempt of Court for Getting Her Child a COVID-19 Test | by Marshall Allen, ProPublica, and Rachel Dissell for ProPublica | December 18, 2020 | ProPublica
In a bid to ensure geographical diversity, a certain number of seats will be allotted to every middle school in Fairfax County, to be filled by eighth-graders at that school who meet criteria.
Fairfax school board switches to ‘holistic review’ admissions system for Thomas Jefferson High School | Hannah Natanson | December 18, 2020 | Washington Post
Out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, 111 didn’t even make it halfway through their 14 allotted spring practices, and 40 percent, including bluebloods Alabama and Texas, didn’t get in even one spring practice.
Losing Money Betting On College Football This Year? You’re Not Alone. | Richard Johnson | December 16, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight

In 2013, Taiwan passed an amendment to its Gender Equality Act allotting women three paid days of menstrual leave each year.
The Pill Is More Than Birth Control | Keli Goff | July 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The principle of equal electorates is recognized in the Commonwealth Bill by the rules for allotting representation to the States.
Proportional Representation Applied To Party Government | T. R. Ashworth and H. P. C. Ashworth
Tribal ownership of the land becomes more firmly established, as does also the custom of allotting a particular share to the clan.
Elements of Folk Psychology | Wilhelm Wundt
The regulating and allotting of cabins to each particular officer was first established.
How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves | W.H.G. Kingston
The cutting up of the deer and allotting of the various portions was technically known as the "breaking" of the deer.
Lady of the Lake | Sir Walter Scott
An important function of the town meeting was in allotting land.
The Colonization of North America | Herbert Eugene Bolton

British Dictionary definitions for allot

allot

/ (əˈlɒt) /

verb-lots, -lotting or -lotted (tr)

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

Origin of allot

C16: from Old French aloter, from lot portion, lot

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

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