redistribute
Americanverb (used with object)
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to distribute again or anew.
The corporation will redistribute its share of the profits to its stockholders.
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to alter the distribution of; apportion differently.
Let's redistribute the work more fairly.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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redistributesimple
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redistributessimple
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have redistributedperfect
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has redistributedperfect
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am redistributingprogressive
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are redistributingprogressive
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is redistributingprogressive
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have been redistributingperfect progressive
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has been redistributingperfect progressive
Past
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redistributedsimple
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had redistributedperfect
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was redistributingprogressive
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were redistributingprogressive
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had been redistributingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of redistribute
First recorded in 1605–15; re- + distribute
Explanation
Redistribute is a verb that means to distribute something again. If one poker player gets too many cards and another gets too few, the dealer should probably shuffle again and redistribute the cards evenly. You may recall the story of Robin Hood, who took it upon himself to "redistribute the wealth" by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Well, in conversations about contemporary economics the word redistribute is often used to complain about taxes, which are often higher for people who have more money.
Vocabulary lists containing redistribute
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.
See Examples For:
He argues this is necessary to tackle inequality and redistribute wealth from Peru's rich mineral, gold and copper reserves more equally and has enjoyed subsequent support in more rural areas.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
The office has an uncertain future because Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing a proposal to reimagine the office and redistribute some of its duties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Now, it is leveraging the potent cocktail of an American World Cup to pack its war chest with money it plans to redistribute to FIFA’s 211 member nations around the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
This movement into lower soil layers is linked not only to the decomposition of organic material but also to biological activity, such as organisms that help break down leaves and redistribute particles.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 23, 2026
After lengthy discussions about how to redistribute power and land, Octavian and Mark Antony reached a compromise.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Another potential catalyst: SK Hynix redistributes 10% of its operating profit in employee bonuses—a practice Samsung is also beginning to adopt.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Squeezing redistributes this uncertainty by making one property more precise while increasing uncertainty in the other.
From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026
Charles has been a long-standing supporter of reducing food waste, and the Coronation Food Project which was established in 2023, redistributes surplus food to people in need in Merseyside, Birmingham, and London.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
A charity that redistributes food to community larders delivered about 15,000 more meals to people in July compared to the same period last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2025
Its shape changes utterly as the weight redistributes.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
The backpacks are collected, refilled and redistributed each week.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026
“They are targeting parts of the economy that are outward facing, that are bringing in foreign exchange which could be redistributed and directed at basic needs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Ministers also argue that heat generated by huge processing centres could be redistributed into district networks of homes.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
Companies, particularly in the arms sector, will "within a year have enormous sums of money at their disposal that will be redistributed," he said.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
I had written that Kwang took no profits and made no interest, that he just redistributed funds at the end of every week, like any ggeh.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
She has said Wildberries was "focused on redistributing" across its warehouses and "ensuring the financial stability of our partners."
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
I’m worried I may not be diversified enough and may fare better selling and redistributing into less risky index funds.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
Comments from a senior South Korean official floating the idea of redistributing profits from the AI windfall to citizens weighed on Korean stocks, tapping the brakes on what has been a breakneck run-up this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Holocaust Memorial Museum describes the program as a coordinated effort to strip communities of cultural identity while redistributing art through state and black-market channels.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
The subprime mortgage market was generating half a trillion dollars’ worth of new loans a year, but the circle of people redistributing the risk that the entire market would collapse was tiny.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
