distribute

American  

[dih-strib-yoot] / dɪˈstrɪb jut /

verb (used with object)

• distributes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• distributed,
  past participle,  past
• distributing
  present participle

1. to divide and give out in shares; deal out; allot.

   Synonyms:

   apportion, mete, assign

2. to disperse through a space or over an area; spread; scatter.

3. to promote, sell, and ship or deliver (an item or line of merchandise) to individual customers, especially in a specified region or area.

4. to pass out or deliver (mail, newspapers, etc.) to intended recipients.

5. to divide into distinct phases.

   The process was distributed into three stages.

6. to divide into classes.

   These plants are distributed into 22 classes.

   Synonyms:

   categorize, arrange, sort, classify

7. Logic. to employ (a term) in a proposition so as to refer to all individuals denoted by the term.

8. Physical Chemistry. to dissolve uniformly in a solvent consisting of layers of immiscible or partially miscible substances.

9. Printing.

   1. to roll out (ink) on the table to attain the proper consistency.

   2. to return (type) to the proper place after printing.

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distribute British  

/ dɪˈstrɪbjuːt /

verb

1. to give out in shares; dispense

2. to hand out or deliver

   to distribute handbills

3. (often passive) to spread throughout a space or area

   gulls are distributed along the west coast

4. (often passive) to divide into classes or categories; classify

   these books are distributed in four main categories

5. printing to return (used type) to the correct positions in the type case

6. logic to incorporate in a distributed term of a categorial proposition

7. maths logic to expand an expression containing two operators in such a way that the precedence of the operators is changed; for example, distributing multiplication over addition in a ( b + c ) yields ab + ac

8. obsolete to dispense (justice)

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Synonym Usage

Distribute, dispense apply to giving out something. Distribute implies apportioned, individualized giving, especially of something that is definite or limited in amount or number: The prizes were distributed among ten winners. Dispense formerly implied indiscriminate, general, and liberal giving, especially of something that was more or less indefinite or unmeasured in amount: to dispense largesse. It now applies chiefly to giving according to need or deserts, from an organized and official source: to dispense medicines and food to the victims.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predistribute
  verb (used with object)
• distributable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• distributing
  present
• distributed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• distribute
  simple
• distributes
  simple
• have distributed
  perfect
• has distributed
  perfect
• am distributing
  progressive
• are distributing
  progressive
• is distributing
  progressive
• have been distributing
  perfect progressive
• has been distributing
  perfect progressive

Past

• distributed
  simple
• had distributed
  perfect
• was distributing
  progressive
• were distributing
  progressive
• had been distributing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will distribute
  simple
• will have distributed
  perfect
• will be distributing
  progressive
• will have been distributing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of distribute

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin distribūtus, past participle of distribuere “to divide up”; see dis- ¹, tribute

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Explanation

To distribute is to disperse widely, hand out, or spread around. While you're still snoozing, the paper boy is busy distributing the newspaper all over the neighborhood. This verb was first recorded in the early 15th century and has its roots in the Latin distributus, meaning “to divide.” Think of dividing up the last cookies in the cookie jar and passing them out to all your friends. Distribute can also mean to space out or arrange in a particular order — you'd want to distribute the chairs in even lines across the floor when setting up for a concert, for example.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distribute distributes distributed distributing

Ukraine said the shelter was near a local school, which was being used to distribute humanitarian aid.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Law firms usually distribute most of their profits at year-end, rather than reinvesting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Under the current arrangement, the bank holding the funds will distribute 4% annually for 25 years.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

The ports’ proposed per-move incentive program is the first of its kind in the state and could distribute funds based on how many trips a truck takes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

The experiments use video game technology to challenge people to distribute attention, then use imaging to measure brain activity during the task.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Rende's company in North Jackson, Ohio, makes and distributes aluminum building products used in fixtures like fences.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

To juice demand, the company distributes free bats, as well as other gear, to select travel players—known as the Rawlings Army and the Easton Army—as young as 9.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

But he is also outstanding with the ball because he distributes it quickly and always chooses the right route.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

A special-needs trust or spendthrift trust distributes funds based on need.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

She cracks another barrel open, takes out a handful of plantains, and distributes them among us.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Cloudflare operates a globally distributed network instead of centralized data centers, meaning that the company can inspect web traffic and block threats closer to where users are.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Economists have long warned, however, that the fruits of that growth are not being evenly distributed, with high-income households disproportionately benefiting, and also propping up consumption-led growth.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Executor continues to keep each beneficiary beholden to him with an iron grip over when and if monies are distributed to them,” the petition added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Rather than using seconds or minutes, Barontini developed a way to track time through changes in how atoms were distributed within the miniature universe.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

A flower cart pushed by a sophomore distributed flowers as souvenirs.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

I met with Mid-City residents Perez and Mohiuddin at La Monarca in Boyle Heights, where they were distributing literature to volunteer door-knockers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

It added that it may explore donating to nonprofits or directly distributing funds to “specific populations.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

The city-state has also begun distributing N95 masks to eligible residents when pollution reaches very unhealthy levels.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

In early 2024, Spotify renewed the partnership but began distributing the show across podcast platforms, including YouTube.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

“You are distributing your weight incorrectly,” he told them didactically.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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Related Words

• administer
• allot
• apportion
• assign
• circulate
• disburse
• dispense
• disseminate
• donate
• give
• give away
• hand out
• issue
• present
• scatter
• share

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