distribute

verb

Saydi-STRIB-yoot/dɪˈstɹɪbjut/UK/dɪˈstɹɪbjuːt/

Formsdistributes, distributing, distributed

11 meanings of distribute

1
verbtransitive
To split something into parts and give the parts to different people.
Like cutting a pizza into slices so everyone at the table gets a piece.
The teacher will distribute the snacks among the students.
She distributed the pie so that everyone at the table got a slice.
Similarallocate, dispense, apportion, share, divide
Oppositecollect, gather
Note
2
verbtransitive
To give out things to many people, like papers or letters.
Please distribute these worksheets to everyone in the class.
She distributed flyers about the concert all over town.
Similardeliver, circulate, disseminate, dispense, issue
Oppositecollect, gather
3
verbtransitive
To share something out so each person or place gets a fair amount.
Like pouring the same amount of juice into every glass.
Try to distribute the weight evenly between the two bags.
The coach distributes playing time fairly among all the players.
Similarspread, share, divide, apportion, allocate
Oppositeconcentrate
4
verbtransitive
To send products to many stores so people can buy them.
The company will distribute its new juice drink to supermarkets across the country.
A local farm distributes fresh eggs to grocery stores in three states.
Similarsupply, deliver, ship
5
verbtransitive
To spread or scatter things over an area or surface.
Distribute the seeds evenly across the whole garden bed.
The wind distributed the leaves all over the yard.
Similarspread, scatter, disperse, strew
Oppositegather, collect, concentrate
6
verbtransitive
To sort things into different groups or types.
Distribute the laundry into piles by color before you wash it.
She distributed the old photos into boxes by year and place.
Similarclassify, sort, categorize, group, arrange
7
verbtransitive
To have a company's workers do their jobs from many different places.
Many tech companies now distribute their teams across several cities.
Our team is distributed, so we meet on a video call every Monday.
Similarspread, disperse
Oppositecentralize
Note
8
verbintransitive
In math, to work on each part of a sum and still give the same answer.
Multiplication distributes over addition, so 3 times (2 + 4) is the same as 3 times 2 plus 3 times 4.
Does this new operation distribute over addition the way multiplication does?
Note
9
verbtransitive
In printing, to spread ink in a thin, even layer.
Use the roller to distribute the ink evenly before you press the paper down.
She distributed the ink on a flat tray until the whole roller was covered.
Similarspread
Note
10
verbtransitive
In printing, to put used metal letters back into the right boxes after a job.
When the job was done, the apprentice had to distribute the type back into its case.
At the museum, the kids watched a printer distribute the letters from an old poster, one tiny piece at a time.
Note
11
verbtransitive
In logic, to use a word so it covers every member of its group.
The claim 'No cats are dogs' distributes both words, since it speaks about every cat and every dog.
When you say 'All birds have feathers,' you distribute the word 'birds' over every single bird.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin distribuere, meaning "to divide out." It joins dis- ("apart") with tribuere ("to give").