apportion

American

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

verb (used with object)

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

to apportion expenses among the three men.

apportion British

/ əˈpɔːʃən /

verb

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

to apportion the blame

"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

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

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.

The Colorado River Compact, signed a century ago last fall, only apportions water between two basins, the Upper Basin and the Lower Basin.

From Los Angeles Times

Citing intelligence data without presenting any evidence, the Russian military alleged that Ukrainian soldiers disguised as Russian troops planned to launch a false flag operation designed to apportion blame Russia for invading Ukraine from Transnistria.

From Seattle Times

The Census Act prohibits using adjusted counts to apportion House seats; Congress would need to amend the law to do so.

From Washington Post

The numbers will be used to draw congressional and legislative districts, enforce anti-discrimination laws and to apportion trillions of dollars of federal funding.

From Seattle Times

No, if you’re looking to apportion blame, blame the delta variant.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023