allocate

American  

[al-uh-kayt] / ˈæl əˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• allocates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• allocated,
  past participle,  past
• allocating
  present participle

1. 

   to set apart for a particular purpose; assign or allot.

   to allocate funds for new projects.

---

allocate British  

/ ˈæləˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to assign or allot for a particular purpose

2. a less common word for locate

---

Synonym Usage

See assign.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• allocator
  noun
• deallocate
  verb (used with object)
• reallocate
  verb (used with object)
• allocatable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• allocating
  present
• allocated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• allocate
  simple
• allocates
  simple
• have allocated
  perfect
• has allocated
  perfect
• am allocating
  progressive
• are allocating
  progressive
• is allocating
  progressive
• have been allocating
  perfect progressive
• has been allocating
  perfect progressive

Past

• allocated
  simple
• had allocated
  perfect
• was allocating
  progressive
• were allocating
  progressive
• had been allocating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will allocate
  simple
• will have allocated
  perfect
• will be allocating
  progressive
• will have been allocating
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of allocate

First recorded in 1630–40; from Medieval Latin allocātus (past participle of allocāre ), equivalent to al- al- + loc(us) “place” + -ātus -ate ¹

---

Explanation

To allocate is to set aside a certain amount of money for an expense. You usually hear about the government allocating funds for education or the military, but you may personally allocate some of your allowance to buying comic books. Aside from money, a common thing to allocate is time: "The old woman in the shoe had so many children she could only allocate 2.7 minutes per day to talk to each one individually." Resources are also often allocated. Teachers, for example, are continuously allocating their year's supply of resources so they don't run out of glue sticks and paper before the end of the school year.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

allocate allocates allocated allocating

For that, I was thinking I’d allocate another quarter to cash and ultrashort Treasury ETFs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Richard believes a first-come, first-served system is the wrong way to allocate support.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The amendment would require the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners to annually allocate a portion of the harbor’s operating income to investments in waterfront public access projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

That granular data allows decisionmakers to allocate resources and target outreach to the areas with the highest need.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

“We have the ability to allocate the job to the person who knows the area best.”

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

France's online platform that allocates places in higher education, Parcoursup, is another sore point.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The sample budget that includes saving for retirement allocates 22% of gross income for housing.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a motion to hire a consultant to reevaluate how it allocates funds collected via a property tax instituted by Measure B, a 2002 ballot initiative.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Situational attracted an investment from Jane Street, the big quant-trading firm that rarely allocates capital to outside money managers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

It allocates natural resources, and controls the issue of credit.

From Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann

“There are budgets that have been laid out, but no resources that have been allocated to it yet,” Herrera said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Less than two years later, he sent a note to one of his teams saying that Google had cut what was allocated to them in favor of another project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Furthermore, a good chunk of funds now mechanically end up allocated directly through target-dated funds that skew toward stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

The contract was put on hold following questions raised in Congress, amid a review of federal funds allocated for this purpose.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Long ago, Grandma and Grandpa Larsen had specified that when they died, all their children and their spouses were to use an allocated sum of money to go on a Scandinavian cruise.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

The municipality, he alleged, was increasingly allocating public buildings and resources to the ultra-Orthodox community.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

The motion calls for allocating millions of dollars annually to fully fund nine county-run self-help legal centers that assist people navigating the restraining order process.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

“Managements and boards are in the business of allocating the capital entrusted to them by shareholders,” Colas wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

When it came to allocating the homes, NIHE's points-based system was used in conjunction with a local Rathlin lettings policy which included having a connection to the island.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Clearly allocating a specific day for rest during the week wasn’t such a bad idea.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• allot
• apportion
• appropriate
• designate
• earmark
• give
• set aside

---