Logo
dictionary thesaurus

distribution

noun
dis·​tri·​bu·​tion | \ ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən How to pronounce distribution (audio) \

Definition of distribution

1a : the act or process of distributing the distribution of leaflets profit distribution the distribution of weight
b law : the act or process of apportioning by a court the personal property of an intestate
2a : the position, arrangement, or frequency of occurrence (as of the members of a group) over an area or throughout a space or unit of time the distribution of the country's population
b biology : the natural geographic range of an organism
3a : something distributed charitable distributions : such as
(1) : a sum of money withdrawn from a fund (such as a retirement fund) and given to the beneficiary (see beneficiary sense 2b) or holder of the fund
(2) : dividend sense 1a

b mathematics

(1) : frequency distribution
(2) : probability function
(3) : probability density function sense 2
4 anatomy : the pattern of branching and termination (see termination sense 4) of a ramifying structure (such as a nerve)
5 business : the marketing or merchandising of commodities keeping track of distribution costs
Other Words from distribution Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about distribution

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from distribution

distributional \ ˌdi-​strə-​ˈbyü-​shnəl How to pronounce distributional (audio) , -​shə-​nᵊl \ adjective

Examples of distribution in a Sentence

The group collects food and clothing for distribution to needy families. The distribution of paychecks will happen every other Friday. The university does not permit distribution of leaflets on campus. She was responsible for product distribution. The company handles the distribution of goods to stores nationwide. He complained that the distribution of work was unfair. He studies the distributions of wildcats in North America. The new design provides better weight distribution.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 Stories identified as inaccurate will be shown lower in the social site's news feed, reducing its distribution. — Aisha Salaudeen, CNN, "Facebook fights fake news using more African languages," 15 Aug. 2019 That could save money, but will tie up capital and will crowd distribution warehouses with products. — Ana Swanson, BostonGlobe.com, "‘It’s just a nightmare.’ Despite tariff delay, toy makers are worried.," 15 Aug. 2019 The distribution would be overseen by a council of black leaders. — Joe Garofoli, SFChronicle.com, "Marianne Williamson campaigns in California, where she feels ‘understood’," 14 Aug. 2019 That changes her mass distribution and starts the twisting. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "The Twisty Physics of Simone Biles' Historic Triple-Double," 12 Aug. 2019 Figures like these raise concerns about the threat of invasive species, which now have a new way to surpass their natural distributions. — Raleigh Mcelvery, Smithsonian, "Ancient Sea Life May Have Hitched Across Oceans on Giant Living Rafts," 12 Aug. 2019 The deal is part of a larger distribution agreement between Disney, which owns ESPN and the ACC Network, and Charter, which operates Spectrum. — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, "Score! The ACC Network will be available on Spectrum," 10 Aug. 2019 The researchers will analyze fat distribution through bone scans, which the study already has performed. — Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, "Popular anti-HIV drugs result in ‘10 years of weight gain in 2 years’ for some women," 7 Aug. 2019 The first phase will include the creation of three campsite loops and a centralized site for trash collection and water distribution. — Scott Craven, azcentral, "Grand Canyon campers will be getting a whole lot more campsites," 6 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distribution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of distribution

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for distribution

distribution

noun
How to pronounce distribution (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of distribution

: the act of giving or delivering something to people
: the act of delivering something to a store or business
: the way that something is divided or spread out

See the full definition for distribution in the English Language Learners Dictionary

distribution

noun
dis·​tri·​bu·​tion | \ ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən How to pronounce distribution (audio) \

Kids Definition of distribution

1 : the act of giving out or delivering to
2 : the way things are divided or spread out She studies the distribution of wildcats in the area.
3 : something given out or delivered to or divided among

distribution

noun
dis·​tri·​bu·​tion | \ ˌdis-trə-ˈbyü-shən How to pronounce distribution (audio) \

Medical Definition of distribution

: the pattern of branching and termination of a ramifying anatomical structure (as a nerve or artery)

WORD OF THE DAY

convivial

play

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!