# allotment

/əˈɫɑtmənt/ (US) · /ɐlˈɒtmənt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/allotment
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

a specific amount of something, like money or time, that is given to a person or group. In British English, it also means a small piece of land you can rent to grow your own vegetables.

For teachers: the process of distributing something in shares, or the specific portion assigned to a particular recipient. In British contexts, refers to a small plot of public land rented to an individual for non-commercial gardening.

## Examples

- Each student received a small allotment of paper for the exam.
- The city council increased the number of garden allotments to meet the growing demand for local food production.
- The legal dispute centered on the unfair allotment of shares during the corporate merger, which minority investors claimed favored the board of directors.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in administrative and legal contexts to describe the distribution of resources.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.