apportionment

American  

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

noun

1. the act of apportioning.

2. the determination of the number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives according to the proportion of the population of each state to the total population of the U.S.

3. the apportioning of members of any other legislative body.

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apportionment British  

/ əˈpɔːʃənmənt /

noun

1. the act of apportioning

2. government the proportional distribution of the seats in a legislative body, esp the House of Representatives, on the basis of population

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apportionment Cultural  

1. The allocation of seats in a legislature or of taxes according to a plan. In the United States Congress, for example, the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is based on the relative population of each state, whereas the apportionment in the Senate is based on equal representation for every state. (See also gerrymander.)

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Other Word Forms

• nonapportionment noun
• proapportionment adjective

Etymology

Origin of apportionment

First recorded in 1620–30; apportion + -ment

Example Sentences

“The Constitution very clearly says that apportionment is determined by the number of people, not citizens,” he said.

From Salon • Aug. 15, 2025

The successful challenge by Phoenix won’t change how many congressional seats Arizona got during the apportionment process, or the more detailed numbers used for redrawing political boundaries.

From Seattle Times • May 30, 2023

Arizona began starting to take its full apportionment of river water in the late 1990s, and Nevada in the early 2000s.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2023

These panels often resort to computer programs to find the fairest possible apportionment.

From Scientific American • Nov. 10, 2022

In fact, when the Senatorial election took place in the Legislature, Douglas received fifty-four and Lincoln forty-six votes—one of the results of the lamentable apportionment law then in operation.*

From Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2 (of 2) The True Story of a Great Life by Herndon, William H.