## Meanings
1. To give out or set aside money, time, or resources for a particular purpose.
2. To reserve part of a computer's memory for a program to use.

## Examples
- The council allocated extra funds for new school buildings.
- The system automatically allocates memory to each running process.

## Derived Forms
- allocable
- allocatable
- allocatee
- allocative
- allocator
- misallocate
- overallocate
- preallocate
- reallocate
- suballocate
- underallocate

## Related Forms
- allocable
- allocation
- lieu
- locate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: allocate
- Root: allocātum

## Etymology
From Middle English allocate (the common first word of writs authorizing payment), from Medieval Latin allocātum, substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of allocātus, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Alternatively, from allocāte, the second-person plural imperative of allocō, compare English liberate (“a warrant for the payment of a pension, allowance, debt, etc.”).

## AI Etymology
Allocate is from Middle English allocate (the common first word of writs authorizing payment), from Medieval Latin allocātum, substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of allocātus, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Alternatively, from allocāte, the second-person plural imperative of allocō, compare English liberate (“a warrant for the payment of a pension, allowance, debt, etc.”). Important recorded forms include allocate (Middle English) and allocātum (la-med). Current senses include to give out or set aside money, time, or resources for a particular purpose and to reserve part of a computer's memory for a program to use. The wider family includes derived forms such as allocable, allocatable, allocatee, allocative, and allocator and related words such as allocable, allocation, lieu, and locate.

## Topics
- Technology & Computing
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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