ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

ad-
ac- — Used before c in Latin.
af- — Used before f in Latin.
ag- — Used before g in Latin.
al- — Used before l in Latin.
ap- — Used before p in Latin.
ar- — Used before r in Latin.
as- — Used before s in Latin.
at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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verb

allocate

AL-uh-kayt/ˈæləkeɪt/

To set aside or assign something for a particular purpose.

The planner allocates separate piles of lumber to the birdhouse and stool projects.

A workshop planner separates lumber from a common stock into two distinct project trays, one beside a small birdhouse model and the other beside a stool model.

Etymology

alLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+locateLatinput or place

The underlying image is placing something where it is assigned, hence setting resources apart for a purpose. The source verb was used in writs authorizing payment, giving this 'placing' a concrete financial application.

In context

New Economic Thinking0:50

when we think about how to allocate our time and energy and collective action, we might wanna advance the interests of our group

Prisoner of Love: Intersectional Political Economy

More examples

We allocated an hour for questions after the presentation.
The manager must allocate staff fairly across the shifts.
The program is allocating extra memory for the calculation.

Forms

allocate · allocates · allocated · allocating

allocation noun — An assignment of resources for a particular purpose.

Similar words

assign: Broader; can designate tasks or roles rather than resources.
distribute: Emphasizes handing out shares rather than setting them aside.