allot
v.to give a specific amount of something to a person or group. You use this when you are distributing time, money, or space in a planned way.
v.to assign or distribute a specified amount of something, such as time, money, or space, to a particular person or purpose. Transitive — requires a direct object and often a prepositional phrase indicating the recipient.
“The teacher will allot ten minutes for the final question.”
“The city council decided to allot a portion of the new budget to improve public transportation in the downtown area.”
“While the initial proposal suggested a generous allotment of resources, the committee eventually reduced the amount to ensure that every department received a fair share of the annual grant.”
allot vs a lot — A lot indicates a large quantity or frequency, while allot is the act of assigning or distributing shares.
“Several parents credited their children’s advanced social skills to the extended time allotted for play.”
“It means reading a book that a child actually chose, rereading an old favorite, and allotting time for a teacher to read aloud purely because it brings joy to the class.”
From Middle English allotten, from Old French aloter (Modern French allotir). à + lot.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.