distribute

/dəˈstrɪbjut/

/dɪsˈtrɪbjut/

Other forms: distributed; distributing; distributes

To distribute is to disperse widely, hand out, or spread around. While you're still snoozing, the paper boy is busy distributing the newspaper all over the neighborhood.

This verb was first recorded in the early 15th century and has its roots in the Latin distributus, meaning “to divide.” Think of dividing up the last cookies in the cookie jar and passing them out to all your friends. Distribute can also mean to space out or arrange in a particular order — you'd want to distribute the chairs in even lines across the floor when setting up for a concert, for example.

Definitions of distribute

1. verb

   give to several people
   synonyms: give out, hand out, pass out

   types:

   apportion, deal, divvy up, portion out, share

   give out as one's portion or share

   type of:

   gift, give, present

   give as a present; make a gift of
2. verb

   cause to be distributed
   synonyms: circulate, pass around, pass on

   types:

   send around

   forward to others

   utter

   put into circulation

   scatter, spread, spread out

   strew or distribute over an area

   circularise, circularize

   distribute circulars to

   manure, muck

   spread manure, as for fertilization

   birdlime, lime

   spread birdlime on branches to catch birds

   circumfuse

   spread something around something

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
3. verb

   administer or bestow, as in small portions
   synonyms: administer, allot, deal, deal out, dish out, dispense, dole, dole out, lot, mete, mete out, parcel out, shell out

   types:

   allot, assign, portion

   give out

   reallot

   allot again

   deal

   distribute cards to the players in a game

   apply, give

   give or convey physically

   allow, appropriate, earmark, reserve, set aside

   give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

   allocate, apportion

   distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose

   misdeal

   deal cards wrongly

   tread

   apply (the tread) to a tire

   administer

   perform (a church sacrament) ritually

   type of:

   give

   transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
4. verb

   distribute or disperse widely
   synonyms: spread

   types:

   generalise, generalize

   become systemic and spread throughout the body

   metastasise, metastasize

   spread throughout the body

   discharge

   pour forth or release

   disseminate, straw, strew

   spread by scattering

   export

   cause to spread in another part of the world

   propagate

   transmit or cause to broaden or spread

   deploy

   to distribute systematically or strategically

   redistribute

   distribute anew

   sprawl, straggle

   go, come, or spread in a rambling or irregular way

   diffuse, fan out, spread, spread out

   move outward

   eject, force out, squeeze out, squirt

   cause to come out in a squirt

   disperse, dot, dust, scatter, sprinkle

   distribute loosely

   play

   discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream

   volley

   discharge in, or as if in, a volley

   bestrew

   cover by strewing

   litter

   make a place messy by strewing garbage around

   redeploy

   deploy anew

   percolate

   spread gradually

   creep

   grow or spread, often in such a way as to cover (a surface)

   bleed, run

   be diffused

   mantle

   spread over a surface, like a mantle
5. verb

   spread throughout a given area
   “the function distributes the values evenly”

   type of:

   scatter, spread, spread out

   strew or distribute over an area
6. verb

   cause to become widely known
   synonyms: broadcast, circularise, circularize, circulate, diffuse, disperse, disseminate, pass around, propagate, spread

   circulate, go around, spread

   become widely known and passed on

   types:

   podcast

   distribute (multimedia files) over the internet for playback on a mobile device or a personal computer

   sow

   introduce into an environment

   generalise, generalize, popularise, popularize, vulgarise, vulgarize

   cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use

   carry, run

   include as the content; broadcast or publicize

   type of:

   air, bare, publicise, publicize

   make public
7. verb

   make available
   “The publisher wants to distribute the book in Asia”

   types:

   issue, supply

   circulate or distribute or equip with

   reticulate

   distribute by a network, as of water or electricity

   free, release, unblock, unfreeze

   make (assets) available

   reissue

   issue (a new version of)

   free, release

   make (information) available for publication

   type of:

   transfer

   cause to change ownership
8. verb

   arrange in a systematic order
   synonyms: stagger

   type of:

   arrange, set up

   put into a proper or systematic order
9. verb

   be mathematically distributive
   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
10. verb

    be distributed or spread, as in statistical analyses
    “Values distribute”

    type of:

    be, exist

    have an existence, be extant