allocation

/ˌæləˈkeɪʃən/
nounIntermediate distribution of resources
💼Business
formal

the process of distributing resources, funds, or tasks to specific purposes or individuals

The government announced an allocation of $10 million for disaster relief.

The government designated $10 million to be used for disaster relief efforts.

💡

Often used in financial, business, or project management contexts.

💻Technology
technical

in computing, the assignment of memory or storage space to a specific task or program

The operating system handles memory allocation for running applications.

The operating system manages how memory is assigned to different programs.

💡

Common in software development and system administration.

Collocations

budget allocationthe distribution of funds within a budgetresource allocationthe assignment of resources to tasks or projectsmemory allocationthe assignment of memory space in computing

Related Phrases

allocate resourcesphrase
to assign resources to a specific task or purpose

💡Pro Tip

Business Context

In business, allocation often involves budgeting or resource planning.

Technical Context

In computing, allocation refers to memory or storage management.

Gold Rule

Precision

Use 'allocation' when referring to the deliberate distribution of resources, not just general sharing.

📖Word Origin

From Middle French 'allocation,' from Latin 'allocatio,' meaning 'a placing aside,' from 'allocare' (to assign).

📝Usage Notes

In business and finance, allocation often refers to the distribution of funds or resources. In technology, it refers to memory or storage assignment.

Word Breakdown

alloc
to assign or distribute
root
+
-ation
the action or process of
suffix
English Dictionary