Distributing

dɪˈstrɪbjʊtɪŋ

verbmedium🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To give a share or a supply of something to each of a number of people or places; to spread over an area or to a group of people.

dɪˈstrɪbjʊtɪŋ

verbneutralmedium
General

To share or spread something among a group or over a wider area.

The organization is distributing food to the homeless.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're sharing snacks at a party. Distributing is like making sure everyone gets some of the chips, cookies, or drinks. You're giving things out so people can enjoy them.

👶 For kids: Giving things to different people.

More Examples

2

The software company is distributing a new update to its users.

3

They're distributing the profits among the shareholders.

How It's Used

Business

"The company is distributing pamphlets to promote its new product."

Logistics

"The warehouse is responsible for distributing goods to retail stores."

Education

"The teacher is distributing the exam papers to the students."

2

To divide and arrange something in a particular way or pattern; to arrange parts or elements.

dɪˈstrɪbjʊtɪŋ

verbneutralAdvanced
General

To arrange something in a particular way.

The architect distributed the windows evenly across the building's facade.

💡 Simply: If you're decorating a room, distributing furniture is like deciding where everything goes to make it look good and work well.

👶 For kids: Putting things in different spots so they look nice or work well.

More Examples

2

The designer carefully distributed the images on the page to guide the reader's eye.

How It's Used

Design

"The artist is carefully distributing the colors across the canvas to create a balanced image."

Urban Planning

"The city is distributing parks across different neighborhoods."

Tip:Relate to patterns or designs - organizing or laying out elements in an organized manner.

Idioms & expressions

distribute evenly

To give something to a group of people or things in equal portions.

"The professor distribute the workload evenly among all the students."

mass distribution

The wide-scale distribution of something to many people.

"The company is planning a mass distribution of the new product."

From Latin *distribuere* ('to divide, apportion'), from *dis-* ('apart') + *tribuere* ('to assign, allot').

The word 'distribute' has been used since the late 15th century, initially referring to apportioning or sharing.

Memory tip

Think of 'dis' (apart) and 'tribute' - giving out tributes (shares) to many.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to divide, apportion"

distribute informationdistribute goodsdistribute resourcesdistribute evenlymass distribute

Common misspellings

distributtingdistrbuting

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written