allot

verb

al·​lot ə-ˈlät 

allotted; allotting

transitive verb

1

: to assign as a share or portion

allot 10 minutes for the speech

2

: to distribute by or as if by lot

allot seats to the press

allotter noun

Synonyms

• allocate
• allow
• apportion
• assign
• distribute
• lot
• ration

Examples of allot in a Sentence

Each speaker will be allotted 15 minutes.

The newspaper will allot a full page to each of the three mayoral candidates.

Recent Examples on the Web

More than that, agents can be allotted specific roles and permissions tied to job duties, for example by restricting access to certain systems or data to IT or HR staff. —Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Ball's office was allotted $1.5 million over the course of two years to conduct the audit, which will focus on far more than the district's finances. —Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 5 Dec. 2024

Provisions that take historical water use to determine how much water a farmer is allotted would penalize his water-saving efforts and reward companies that did double cropping. —Clara Migoya, The Arizona Republic, 29 Nov. 2024

The measure also seeks to address disparities in the resources allotted to county prosecutors and public defenders. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alotten, borrowed from Anglo-French aloter, from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + -loter, verbal derivative of lot "lot, portion, share," borrowed from Old Low Franconian *hlota-, going back to Germanic *hluta- — more at lot entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

allot

verb

al·​lot ə-ˈlät 

allotted; allotting

: to assign as a share or portion

allot 10 minutes for the speech