apportion

American  

[uh-pawr-shuhn, uh-pohr-] / əˈpɔr ʃən, əˈpoʊr- /

verb (used with object)

1. to distribute or allocate proportionally; divide and assign according to some rule of proportional distribution.

   to apportion expenses among the three men.

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apportion British  

/ əˈpɔːʃən /

verb

1. (tr) to divide, distribute, or assign appropriate shares of; allot proportionally

   to apportion the blame

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Other Word Forms

• apportionable adjective
• apportioner noun
• nonapportionable adjective
• unapportioned adjective

Etymology

Origin of apportion

1565–75; < Middle French apportionner, equivalent to ap- ap- ¹ + portionner to portion

Explanation

To apportion is to divide something into shares and hand it out. With 11 guests at your birthday party, it makes sense to cut the cake into 12 slices and apportion one to each — leaving one slice for you! The verb apportion means "allocate" or "divvy up," and it's often used to talk about the way money is distributed. For example, your parents might evenly apportion an allowance to each of their children, or apportion slightly less money to your youngest sibling. In government, power is also apportioned in various ways, as when laws apportion a certain number of congressional representatives to each state.

Example Sentences

But it’s hard if not impossible to prove that social media caused any given individual’s troubles, let alone apportion liability among the platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

The preliminary report states its role is "not to apportion blame or liability".

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

Those on both sides say they are willing to continue trying to reach a deal on how to apportion cutbacks in water use after 2026, when the current rules expire.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

This is because both citizens and noncitizens are counted in the census and this data is then used to apportion seats.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2024

Rationales for still other ways to apportion the money are possible.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• administer
• allocate
• allot
• distribute
• divvy up