/ ˌæləˈkeɪʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] an amount of money, space, etc. that is given to sb for a particular purpose
2.
[ U ] the act of giving sth to sb for a particular purpose :
the allocation of food to those who need it most
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from medieval Latin allocatio(n-) , from the verb allocare , from ad- to + locare , from locus place.