allotment

allotment — noun

1. a portion of something — for example money, time, food, or seats — that has been

1.nounC1
Definition

a portion of something — for example money, time, food, or seats — that has been officially set aside for a particular person, group, or purpose; also, the act of dividing something up in this way.

Example

Each refugee family received a weekly allotment of rice, oil, and powdered milk.

allotment of + countable list of items

Xiomara used up her data allotment three days before the end of the month.

compound: data allotment

Common collocations
  • daily allotment
  • monthly allotment
  • annual allotment
  • data allotment
  • budget allotment
  • fair allotment
Synonyms
  • share

    more general; doesn't imply a formal decision

  • quota

    stresses an upper limit you cannot exceed

  • ration

    implies scarcity, often during shortage

  • portion

    neutral; works for food and abstract things

Antonyms
  • whole

    the entire amount, not a divided share

Grammar Patterns

allotment of + noun

allotment for + noun

Usage Note

Subject of the verb is usually an institution, employer, or government — not a casual decision by an individual. Often appears with possessives ('your allotment', 'her daily allotment') to mark the share as belonging to someone.

Common Mistakes

I gave my friend an allotment of cake.
I gave my friend a slice of cake.
'allotment' is for formal or official sharing, not casual servings.

2. in Britain, a small patch of land at the edge of a town or city that the local c

2.nounC1
Definition

in Britain, a small patch of land at the edge of a town or city that the local council rents out cheaply to residents so they can grow their own vegetables, fruit, or flowers.

Example

Grandpa George spends every Saturday morning digging potatoes on his allotment behind the railway line.

preposition: on his allotment

After waiting four years on the council list, Priya finally got an allotment near the park.

council waiting list collocation

Common collocations
  • rent an allotment
  • tend an allotment
  • allotment holder
  • allotment shed
  • council allotment
Synonyms
  • plot

    general word for a piece of land; less specific

  • community garden

    American equivalent; usually shared rather than individually rented

Grammar Patterns

on an allotment

rent an allotment

Usage Note

Almost exclusively British English. Americans would more likely say 'community garden plot'. The land is owned by the local council and rented for a small annual fee; tenants do not own it.

Common Mistakes

I bought an allotment on the edge of town.
I rented an allotment on the edge of town.
allotments are rented from the council, not bought.

Word family

  • allot
    verbC1
  • allotted
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a part of something divided among people, but they differ in tone and context. 'Allotment' sounds formal or institutional and stresses that someone in authority has set aside the amount — companies, governments, and councils make allotments. 'Quota' adds the idea of an upper limit: once you hit it, you stop. 'Ration' suggests scarcity, usually during war, famine, or other shortages, and the share is often deliberately small. 'Share' is the most neutral, everyday word and does not require any official decision. 'Portion' works mainly for food and physical things, less for abstract resources like time or budget. So you might say 'a generous allotment of stock options', 'a strict quota of imports', 'a wartime ration of butter', 'her share of the prize money', and 'a small portion of cake'.

allotment ↗quota ↗ration ↗share ↗portion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • budget allotment
  • data allotment
  • time allotment
  • stock allotment

Adverbs

Phrases

  • receive an allotment
  • use up one's allotment
  • exceed one's allotment
  • rent an allotment

Prepositions

  • allotment of
  • allotment for
  • on an allotment

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

From the verb 'allot', which entered English in the late 1400s from Old French 'aloter', meaning 'to divide by lot'. The root noun 'lot' originally referred to a small object — a stick, stone, or token — drawn at random to decide who got what. The noun 'allotment' appeared a little later, first meaning 'an act of dividing things up by drawing lots', then more generally 'a share given to someone'. The British 'rented garden plot' sense developed in the nineteenth century, when councils began parcelling out public land in fixed shares to working-class families.