allotment
To assign or distribute a specific portion of something, such as time, money, or tasks, to a person or for a particular purpose. It implies a formal or structured division based on a planned share or quota.
Examples
3 of 5The organizers decided to allot twenty minutes to each speaker during the conference.
The planners gave each presenter twenty minutes of time for their talk.
The municipal council must allot the annual budget across various public services.
The local government needs to distribute the yearly funds among different public departments.
I'll allot some time this evening to look over your essay.
I will set aside a bit of my time tonight to check your writing.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Remember 'A Lot To' — when you allot something, you decide who gets 'a lot' and who gets a little.
Quick Quiz
The manager asked the team to ___ at least two hours a day to the new project.
Correct!
The correct answer is: a
Examples
The organizers decided to allot twenty minutes to each speaker during the conference.
everydayThe planners gave each presenter twenty minutes of time for their talk.
The municipal council must allot the annual budget across various public services.
formalThe local government needs to distribute the yearly funds among different public departments.
I'll allot some time this evening to look over your essay.
informalI will set aside a bit of my time tonight to check your writing.
In the experimental design, researchers allot participants to groups using a random number generator.
academicIn the study, scientists assign the people taking part into groups by choosing numbers at random.
We need to allot more resources to the software development team to meet the deadline.
businessWe have to provide more staff and tools to the developers so they can finish on time.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
within the allotted time
inside the period of time that was given
allot a share
to give someone their part of a whole
to be allotted to
to be assigned or given to someone
Often Confused With
'Alot' is a common misspelling of 'a lot' (meaning many); 'allot' is a verb meaning to distribute.
While nearly identical, 'allocate' is more common in technical and economic contexts, whereas 'allot' often refers to shares or time.
Usage Notes
The verb is 'allot', while 'allotment' is the noun. It is a transitive verb that frequently uses the preposition 'to' to indicate who receives the portion.
Common Mistakes
Learners often forget to double the 't' when adding suffixes, writing 'aloted' instead of 'allotted' or 'aloting' instead of 'allotting'.
Memory Tip
Remember 'A Lot To' — when you allot something, you decide who gets 'a lot' and who gets a little.
Word Origin
From the Old French 'aloter', where 'a' means 'to' and 'lot' refers to a share or portion.
Grammar Patterns
Quick Quiz
The manager asked the team to ___ at least two hours a day to the new project.
Correct!
The correct answer is: a
Related Vocabulary
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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