allocation
Americannoun
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the act of allocating; apportionment.
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the state of being allocated.
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the share or portion allocated.
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Accounting. a system of dividing expenses and incomes among the various branches, departments, etc., of a business.
noun
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the act of allocating or the state of being allocated
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a part that is allocated; share
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accounting a system of dividing overhead expenses between the various departments of a business
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social welfare (in a Social Services Department) the process of assigning referrals to individual workers, thus changing their status to cases
Other Word Forms
- allocative adjective
- deallocation noun
- reallocation noun
- suballocation noun
Etymology
Origin of allocation
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin allocātiōn- (stem of allocātiō ), equivalent to allocāt(us) ( see allocate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If it is your job to decide how much money goes to three charities, you are in charge of the allocation of your donation. The money each charity gets is their allocation. You'll often hear this word used when talking about things like government funding. People often debate the allocation of federal funds. Should tax dollars be used for the military, or for domestic needs like education and healthcare? These decisions are made by Congress and the President, who work together to create a budget to allocate funds appropriately.
Vocabulary lists containing allocation
Dwight D. Eisenhower, "The Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)
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The Martian
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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.
An untitled Paramount crime thriller received the highest amount — $25.9 million — while DreamWorks’ untitled animated film received $24.7 million in credit allocation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Lead strategist Jonathan Stubbs told MarketWatch that Berenberg run their asset allocation framework strategically, rather than tactically, meaning they only make very occasional changes.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
But among this peer set, Apple is the only Magnificent Seven company where the CEO’s legacy is defined more by capital allocation than by a transformative technology bet.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
Zaitzeff: Citizens has done a good job in terms of capital allocation.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
However, World Bank members, who came from many countries to meet in Moscow, were divided about the allocation.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
