v., -ut·ed, -ut·ing, -utes. v.tr.
- To divide and dispense in portions.
- To supply (goods) to retailers.
- To deliver or pass out: distributing handbills on the street.
- To spread or diffuse over an area; scatter: distribute grass seed over the lawn.
- To apportion so as to be evenly spread throughout a given area: 180 pounds of muscle that were well distributed over his 6-foot frame.
- To separate into categories; classify.
- Logic. To use (a term) so as to include all individuals or entities of a given class.
Mathematics. To be distributive.
[Middle English distributen, from Latin distribuere, distribūt- : dis-, apart; see dis– + tribuere, to give; see tribute.]
SYNONYMS distribute, divide, dispense, dole, deal, ration. These verbs mean to give out in portions or shares. Distribute is the least specific: The government distributed land to settlers. Divide implies giving out portions, often equal, on the basis of a plan or purpose: The estate will be divided among the heirs. Dispense stresses the careful determination of portions, often according to measurement or weight: The pharmacist dispensed the medication. Dole, often followed by out, implies careful, usually sparing measurement of portions. It can refer to the distribution of charity: The city doled out surplus milk to the needy. It can also suggest lack of generosity: The professor doled out meager praise to the students. Deal implies orderly, equitable distribution, often piece by piece: I dealt five cards to each player. Ration refers to equitable division in limited portions of scarce, often necessary, items: The government rationed fuel during the war.
