Meaning & use
distribute
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To give or deliver something to several people or places.
Grammar: Takes an object: distribute the leaflets.
Patterns
- distribute something to someone
- distribute something among someone
Volunteers distributed food to the families.
The teacher distributed the exam papers among the students.
The company distributes its products to over 50 countries.
verbtransitive
To spread something over an area or share it out in portions.
Grammar: Often used with 'over' or 'among': distribute the weight evenly.
Patterns
- distribute something over something
- distribute something among someone
Make sure to distribute the weight evenly on both sides.
The teacher distributed the tasks among the group members.
The wealth is not distributed fairly in that country.
verbtransitive or intransitivebusiness
To supply goods to shops or businesses, especially as a wholesaler.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (distribute magazines) or without (they distribute for a living).
Patterns
- distribute something
- distribute for someone
They distribute organic vegetables to local restaurants.
This company distributes for several major publishers.
The film was distributed by a small independent studio.
Word forms
| third person singular | distributes |
|---|---|
| past tense | distributed |
| past participle | distributed |
| -ing form | distributing |
Common combinations
- distribute evenly
- Spread the frosting and distribute it evenly over the cake.
- distribute something to someone
- The charity distributes blankets to the homeless.
- distribute among
- The profits were distributed among the workers.
- widely distributed
- The species is widely distributed across the continent.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hand out
- More informal and usually means giving things directly to people by hand.
- allocate
- Focuses on deciding who gets what, often in a planned or official way.
- spread
- Used more for things that cover a surface or area, not for giving out to people.
Opposites
Word family
- distribution noun
- The act of giving out or spreading something.
- distributor noun
- A person or company that supplies goods to shops.
- distributive adjective
- Relating to distribution, especially in grammar or economics.
Commonly confused: distribute or attribute?
distribute vs attribute
Attribute means to say something is caused by or belongs to someone; distribute means to give out or spread.
Practice
The teacher ______ the worksheets to the class.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'distribute' takes a direct object (the worksheets) and can be followed by 'to' or 'among', but here the direct object comes immediately after the verb, so 'distributed' alone is correct. 'Distributed to' would need an object after 'to', and 'distributed among' is used when the receiver is a group, but the sentence already has 'to the class'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “distribute”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.