apportion
C1-C2Formal, professional, official. Primarily used in legal, governmental, administrative, business, and academic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To divide something into shares and allocate them to different people or purposes.
To assign a part of something (like time, money, space, or responsibility) based on a plan, formula, or fair distribution. Often used in formal contexts involving resources, blame, costs, or representation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strongly implies a systematic or fair division, often based on a measurable standard (like population, contribution, or need). Not used for casual or random division. Closely related to concepts of allocation, distribution, and rationing.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word functions identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral connotations of official procedure and fairness in both. Slightly bureaucratic tone.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in formal contexts in both regions. Not a common everyday word.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[apportion] + [something] + among/to [people/entities][apportion] + [something] + according to/based on [criteria][apportion] + [something] + between [two entities]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Apportion blame”
- “Apportion one's time”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for distributing budgets, costs, overheads, or quotas among departments or projects.
Academic
Common in political science (electoral systems apportion seats), economics (resource distribution), and legal studies (liability).
Everyday
Rare. Might be used in formal discussions about household chores, shared trip expenses, or group project work.
Technical
Used in law to describe dividing liability or damages; in government for allocating electoral seats (e.g., apportionment).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The committee must apportion the limited funds among the various research projects.
- It is difficult to apportion blame for the accident when so many factors were involved.
- The council tax is apportioned according to the valuation band of your property.
American English
- The court will apportion the damages between the two negligent parties.
- Seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned based on state population.
- We need to apportion our time more efficiently to meet the project deadline.
adverb
British English
- The funds were apportionedly allocated, satisfying all stakeholders.
- Costs were dealt with apportionedly, based on usage.
American English
- The resources were apportionedly distributed across the regions.
- The committee decided to act apportionedly to ensure fairness.
adjective
British English
- The apportionable costs were divided between the tenants.
- They discussed the apportionment of liabilities in the contract.
American English
- The apportionable share of the estate was clarified in the will.
- The apportionment of electoral votes is a key part of the U.S. system.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher apportioned the tasks among the students.
- We must apportion the bill based on what each person ordered.
- The new law will change how parliamentary seats are apportioned.
- It's crucial to apportion resources effectively during a crisis.
- The judge had to apportion liability between the driver and the cyclist.
- The treaty includes a complex formula to apportion fishing quotas among member nations.
- Historians continue to debate how to apportion responsibility for the outbreak of the war.
- The board's primary function is to apportion the annual budget in alignment with strategic priorities.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PORTION. To AP-PORTION is to hand out (or assign) specific PORTIONS to different people (A -> Portion).
Conceptual Metaphor
RESOURCES ARE A PIE (that can be sliced and distributed). JUSTICE/FAIRNESS IS A BALANCED SCALE (used for equitable apportionment).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'proportion' (пропорция). 'Apportion' — это действие по распределению, а не само соотношение.
- Отличать от 'distribute' (распределять). 'Apportion' чаще подразумевает официальное, расчетное деление на доли, часто между ограниченным кругом лиц.
- Не переводить как 'поделить' в бытовом смысле. Это слово значительно более формальное.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for physical cutting of objects (e.g., 'He apportioned the cake') – use 'cut' or 'divide'.
- Using without a sense of systematic or fair division (e.g., 'The wind apportioned the leaves') – incorrect.
- Confusing 'apportion' with 'portion' as a verb (to portion out). 'Apportion' is more formal and systematic.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'apportion' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are similar, but 'apportion' is more specific. It implies dividing something into shares or portions, often based on a plan, rule, or principle (like size, need, or contribution), before distributing it. 'Distribute' is broader and can mean simply to hand out.
Not directly. You apportion things (resources, blame, costs) *among* or *to* people. You do not apportion people themselves. For example, you apportion tasks to team members.
They are often interchangeable. However, 'allocate' can sometimes imply a one-time setting aside of resources for a specific purpose, while 'apportion' strongly emphasizes the act of dividing a finite whole into proportional shares for multiple recipients.
No, it is a mid-to-high frequency word within formal, professional, or academic contexts (law, government, business, economics), but it is very rare in casual, everyday conversation. Learners at B2 level and above are likely to encounter it.
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