What does "allocate" mean?
A writ authorizing payment, allowance, grant.
Allocate
/ˈæl.ə.keɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A writ authorizing payment, allowance, grant.
- Grammar: allocate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: apportion, adjudge, administer, afternoon study block.
- Useful contrasts: unallocated, bogart, freeing.
- Usage evidence: Allocate a room for research purposes.
How to use "allocate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "allocate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "allocate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "allocate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "allocate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "allocate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "apportion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "allocate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A writ authorizing payment, allowance, grant. UK, historical, obsolete
Verb
- 1 To set aside for a purpose.
"Please do not eat the meringue, as it is allocated for the dinner party tomorrow."
- 2 distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose wordnet
- 3 To distribute according to a plan, generally followed by the adposition to.
"The bulk of K–12 education funds are allocated to school districts that in turn pay for the cost of operating schools."
- 4 To reserve a portion of memory for use by a computer program.
"The memory manager allocates memory to requesting processes until there is no more memory available or until there are no more processes waiting for memory."
Adjective
- 1 allocated not-comparable, obsolete
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Allocate a room for research purposes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "allocate"?
Common synonyms include: apportion, adjudge, administer, afternoon study block, aid distribution, align.
How do you use "allocate" in a sentence?
Allocate a room for research purposes.
How do you pronounce "allocate"?
Pronounced /ˈæl.ə.keɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Latin allocātus, perfect passive participle of Latin allocō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + locō. Doublet of allow.
Etymology 2
From Middle English allocat(e) (“allocated”), originally used as the past participle of allocate, from Latin allocātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
Etymology 3
From Middle English allocate (the common first word of writs authorizing payment), from Medieval Latin allocātum, substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of allocātus, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Alternatively, from allocāte, the second-person plural imperative of allocō, compare English liberate (“a warrant for the payment of a pension, allowance, debt, etc.”).