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Glite Dictionary
to allocate

to allocate

92 4.5
Give parts of something, like money or time, to people for a planned purpose
  • verb
  • /ˈæləˌkeɪt/
translation icon : asignar
  • In national news, Congress has voted to allocate more funds to the military's drone program.
  • allocate resources
  • allocate funds
  • allocate time

Fund managers make money by allocating money to funds.

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Examples

  • Well, have all the resources been allocated to this other investigation?

    See How They Run (2022)

  • The manager decided to allocate funds to the new project to ensure its success.

  • Is that, is that a good way to allocate my my resources?

  • Instead, we instead we say we're going to allocate resources through a system of laws.

  • Resources: They know how to allocate time, money, materials, space, and staff.

    Academic text (2011)

  • How is your time allocated throughout your average day?

  • I said we had limited resources, and the choice of how to allocate those resources belongs to me.

    Noxious (2021)

  • Economics is the study of how societies allocate scarce resources among competing wants.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Additionally, the district allocated funds to pay paraprofessionals to attend monthly meetings.

    Academic text (2011)

  • My father is allocating a sum of $850,000 to the project, which, to me, seems very reasonable, if not exorbitant.

    The Brutalist (2024)

Synonyms

to allow
vsto allocate
561 1.0

To set aside money or time for a particular purpose

is planned giving for a purpose instead of simple permission to use
to assign
vsto allocate
487 2.7

Give someone a specific task, duty, or position of responsibility

also covers giving resources as well as designating tasks and duties
to set aside
vsto allocate
87 3.4

Save money or time for a special purpose

gives resources according to a plan rather than merely holding them in reserve
to distribute
vsto allocate
87 2.0

Give things to several people or places

uses planned giving for a purpose rather than merely handing items out
to allot
vsto allocate
33 3.7

To give a part of something to someone for a specific use

focuses on planned distribution across duties or resources rather than only sharing
to appropriate
vsto allocate
  • Formal
26 6.9

Give money officially for a particular use

is a planned distribution without necessarily being official or legal
to apportion
vsto allocate
8 7.0

To divide something and give parts to different people or groups

focuses on planned assignment to purposes not only splitting into parts
to admeasure
vsto allocate
  • Archaic
9.9

To measure and give someone their share of land or property

focuses on planned distribution rather than measuring precise share sizes

Antonyms

to withhold
210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

How Much

to endow
  • Formal
34 4.9
to allocate
92 4.5
to apportion
8 7.0
to allot
33 3.7
to set aside
87 3.4

Surface Forms

allocate infinitive
allocated past
allocated past participle
allocating present participle
allocates third person singular

Morphology

allocate = locate (semi-transparent) = al + locate

The verb is formed by adding the prefix 'al-' to 'locate', so the idea of 'placing' is present but the specialized sense 'assign resources' is a somewhat shifted, more institutional meaning.

Etymology

Allocate comes from old Latin parts ad- ('to') and locare ('to place') and is related to the words locate and location. So, to allocate is to 'place' or give money, time, or work where it is needed.