allocation

Everyday

1. Allocation is the act of sharing out or giving out things for a purpose: "the allocation of seats". tree →
2. An allocation is the amount given to one person or one use: "our allocation of tickets is 20". tree →

In the lessons

In maths word problems allocation means sharing something out, equally or by a rule: dividing a budget, seats or tasks. In school life the allocation of classrooms, lockers or times is planned by staff. In formal and exam language it is a stiff word for share. Phrases: allocation of, budget allocation, ticket allocation, time allocation.

Examples

• The allocation of seats on the coach was done by the teacher. tree →
• Each class got an allocation of 30 tickets. tree →
• If 120 pencils are shared among 4 classes, each allocation is 30 pencils. tree →
• Our time allocation for the test is one hour. tree →
• The council made a bigger allocation of money for the park. tree →
• We used up our water allocation for the week. tree →

Note

Formal word; everyday words are share, portion. Verb: allocate (allocated, allocating). Spelling: double l. In maths, total ÷ number of groups = allocation per group when it is shared equally.