allocation

allocation — noun

1. the formal action by which a larger pool of money, time, staff, or other resourc

1.nounC2
Definition

the formal action by which a larger pool of money, time, staff, or other resources is divided up and assigned to specific people, projects, or purposes — for example, deciding how a school budget is split between subjects.

Example

The allocation of research funds to the four universities took several months of careful negotiation.

allocation of [resource] to [recipient]

Mr. Chen criticized the allocation of seats on the committee, calling it deeply unfair.

Common collocations
  • fair allocation
  • efficient allocation
  • allocation process
  • allocation policy
  • delay the allocation
Synonyms
  • distribution

    broader; can be physical handing-out, not just official assignment

  • apportionment

    more formal and legal; emphasizes proportional shares

  • assignment

    covers tasks and people, not only resources

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

allocation of [resource]

allocation of [resource] to [recipient]

Usage Note

Subject of allocation is usually an authority (government, manager, committee). Distinguish from sense 2 (CIB-counted): sense 1 is the act, sense 2 is the share itself. Often followed by 'of + resource' and optionally 'to + recipient'.

Common Mistakes

I made an allocation to buy a new laptop.
I set aside money to buy a new laptop.
'allocation' refers to formal distribution by an institution, not personal spending choices.
The allocation was 500 dollars.' (when meaning the act)
The allocation took two weeks to complete.
when describing the action, pair with verbs like 'took', 'involved', 'began'.

2. a particular share — often a sum of money, a number of hours, or a quantity of s

2.nounC2
Definition

a particular share — often a sum of money, a number of hours, or a quantity of space — that has been officially set aside for one person, group, or job.

Example

Each department received its annual allocation on the first Monday of April.

possessive + allocation

Linnea used her entire travel allocation visiting clients across three countries.

compound: travel allocation

Common collocations
  • annual allocation
  • budget allocation
  • use up an allocation
  • exceed one's allocation
Synonyms
  • share

    more general and informal; any portion, not necessarily official

  • quota

    implies a fixed limit or target, often imposed

  • ration

    restricted amount, especially during shortages

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] allocation

an allocation of [amount/thing]

Usage Note

Frequently appears with possessives (my/her/our/the team's allocation) since each share belongs to a specific recipient. Distinguish from sense 1 (ACT OF DIVIDING): sense 2 is countable and refers to the resulting amount, not the action.

Common Mistakes

My allocation of homework was difficult.
The homework I was given was difficult.
'allocation' fits resources (money, time, space), not assigned tasks like homework.
She spent more than her allocation.' (no qualifier) is fine, but ❌ 'She spent more than allocation.
She spent more than her allocation.
countable, so use a determiner.

Word family

  • allocate
    verbC1
  • allocator
    noun
  • allocable
    adjective
  • reallocate
    verb
  • reallocation
    noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five words describe a part of a larger total, but they differ in how the part is decided and used. 'Allocation' is the most formal and institutional — it refers to an amount that an organization or authority has officially set aside for a specific recipient (a department's budget allocation, a travel allocation). 'Share' is the most general and neutral; it simply names someone's part, with no suggestion of formality ('my share of the bill'). 'Quota' carries the idea of a fixed limit or target, often imposed from above ('an export quota'). 'Portion' tends to be used for tangible things, especially food or physical space ('a small portion of rice'). 'Ration' implies restricted amounts during a shortage ('wartime petrol rations'). So a soldier's weekly food ration, a salesperson's monthly quota, and a manager's annual budget allocation are all shares — but the word choice signals very different reasons behind the limit.

allocation ↗share ↗quota ↗portion ↗ration ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • budget allocation
  • resource allocation
  • asset allocation
  • capital allocation
  • time allocation

Adverbs

Phrases

  • allocation of resources
  • allocation policy
  • increase the allocation
  • exceed one's allocation

Prepositions

  • of (resource)
  • to (recipient)
  • for (purpose)

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Allocation entered English in the early 1500s through Old French, which had borrowed it from Medieval Latin 'allocatio' — from the verb 'allocare', meaning roughly 'to place at' or 'to assign to a place'. The Latin verb was built from 'ad-' ('to, toward') plus 'locare' ('to put or set'), with 'locare' itself coming from 'locus' ('place'). So at its core the word still carries the image of putting something in its proper place — which is exactly what we do today when we assign a budget, a seat, or a slice of time to where it belongs.