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Glite Dictionary
to redistribute

to redistribute

42 4.6
To give out things like money or jobs again so they are fairer
  • verb
  • /ˌriːdɪsˈtrɪbjuːt/
translation icon : redistribuir
  • So here you're a government and you want to redistribute from the rich to the poor.
  • redistribute wealth
  • redistribute resources
  • redistribute income

So I'm going to guess that sympathy helps us to redistribute resources in a more efficient manner.

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Examples

  • In the past, granted, I have been known to redistribute wealth.

    The Limey (1999)

  • The government taxes people and it takes some of the money and redistributes it to people in need.

  • But we can redistribute what we have.

    Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

  • Normally, although not always, "public" works redistribute resources from the few to the many.

    Academic text (1993)

  • One instinctual response is to simply redistribute income to those who have been hurt.

    Academic text (2012)

  • They tried to redistribute income and wealth rather than increase it.

    Big Think

  • There's still so much wealth to redistribute.

    Time Bandits (1981)

  • Let's redistribute the wealth.

    Money Plane (2020)

  • Foremost among these contradictions was the regime's avowed aim to redistribute income and decision-making power.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The government taxes the wealthy and then redistributes the funds to provide support for low-income families.

Synonyms

to allocate
vsto redistribute
92 4.5

Give parts of something, like money or time, to people for a planned purpose

instead focuses on changing existing shares to make them fairer or better
to distribute
vsto redistribute
87 2.0

Give things to several people or places

adds the idea of doing this again or differently to increase fairness or efficiency
to divvy up
vsto redistribute
  • Informal
10 4.2

Share things or money between several people

is similar but usually stresses redoing the shares to be fairer or more effective
to apportion
vsto redistribute
8 7.0

To divide something and give parts to different people or groups

is used when the aim is to alter shares for greater fairness or effect
to reallocate
vsto redistribute
7 5.9

To move something again to a different place or use

moves items again specifically to improve fairness or efficiency
to parcel out
vsto redistribute
3 4.8

To divide something into parts and give each part to different people

often implies changing who receives items to improve fairness or use
to reapportion
vsto redistribute
  • Formal
1 8.2

To give out something again to match a new situation

does the same but stresses making shares fairer or more effective
to recirculate
vsto redistribute
1 4.7

To send information or papers to people again

does this with the aim of changing who benefits or improving allocation
to reappropriate
vsto redistribute
  • Formal
7.5

To give money or resources again for a different purpose

focuses on changing who gets resources to improve fairness or use

Antonyms

to concentrate
130 3.6

To bring people or things together in one place

to hoard
45 4.8

To collect and keep large amounts of food or other things for future use

How Fair

to equalize
  • US
10 4.4
to redistribute
42 4.6
to allocate
92 4.5
to distribute
87 2.0
to hoard
45 4.8

Surface Forms

redistribute infinitive
redistributed past
redistributed past participle
redistributing present participle
redistributes third person singular

Morphology

redistribute = distribute (transparent) = re + distribute

For learners who know 'distribute', adding 're-' clearly gives the meaning of distributing again or in a different way.

Etymology

The word redistribute is made of re- meaning 'again' and distribute meaning 'to give out' or 'share'. So, to redistribute is to give things out again or in a new way to make them more fair or more useful.