allocate

American  

[al-uh-keyt] / ˈæl əˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

allocated, allocating

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

   to allocate funds for new projects.

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allocate British  

/ ˈæləˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to assign or allot for a particular purpose

2. a less common word for locate

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Related Words

See assign.

Other Word Forms

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

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

She said one of her key issues with the programme was that schools were forced to allocate at least 30 minutes before lessons began for the breakfast.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Ironically, some of the more shareholder-unfriendly banks have a lot of capital because they hoarded the capital; they didn’t allocate it.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Different methodologies and outcomes for the Gauge and Big Data + Panel frustrate TV operators and confuse marketers looking to allocate spending as next month’s upfront ad sales events approach, according to Marshall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The program opens up for applications this week and could allocate up to $12,500 for households of 1-2 people and up to $19,000 for households with five or more members.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Nor would he allocate good land to one man every year and bad land to another; rather, he would share these good things amongst all the people who lived over in that place.

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith

Related Words

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