allocate
verb
al·lo·cate
ˈa-lə-ˌkāt 
allocated; allocating
1
: to apportion for a specific purpose or to particular persons or things : distribute
allocate tasks among human and automated components
2
: to set apart or earmark : designate
allocate a section of the building for special research purposes
Examples of allocate in a Sentence
Money from the sale of the house was allocated to each of the children.
We need to determine the best way to allocate our resources.
Have enough funds been allocated to finance the project?
Recent Examples on the Web
The South American country allocates about $4 billion to its security and defense.
—
Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025
Detroit allocates nearly $34 million in permanent housing, with the vast majority for permanent supportive housing set aside for people with disabilities.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 29 Nov. 2025
An additional 8 billion hryvnias was also allocated for the financing of the Drone Line.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
In the Biden-era Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress provided $15 billion in dedicated lead pipe replacement funding, allocated at $3 billion annually from FY 2022 to 2026.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allocate
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Cite this Entry
“Allocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allocate. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
Kids Definition
allocate
verb
al·lo·cate
ˈal-ə-ˌkāt
allocated; allocating
1
: to divide and distribute for a special reason or to particular persons or things
allocate funds among charities
2
: to set apart for a particular purpose
allocate materials for a project
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