redistribute

re·dis·trib·ute
R1E1D2I1S1T1R1I1B3U1T1E1
UK/ˌɹiː.dɪˈstɹɪb.juːt/UK/ˌɹiːˈdɪs.tɹɪb.juːt/US/ˌɹi.dɪˈstɹɪb.jut/

verb

To distribute again.

“Near-synonym: reallocate”

Similar
reallocate
OriginEnglish distribute ← Middle English re- ← Old French re- →
CommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

verbredistribute (third-person singular simple present redistributes, present participle redistributing, simple past and past participle redistributed)

present singular third person redistributes · participle present redistributing · participle past redistributed · past redistributed

  1. transitiveTo distribute again.

    Near-synonym: reallocate

    2 more examples

    And so new friendships were formed, and new enmities, and old friendships preserved, and old enmities. And all was agreement and disagreement and amity and enmity, as before, only redistributed.

    1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC

    The AK-47s handed in would then be registered in the database before being redistributed to new units formed as Iraq takes over security control from U.S.-led forces, he said.

    2007 August 9, “M-16s a step forward for Iraqi forces, says US”, in Reuters

    Synonyms: reallocate

  2. transitiveTo distribute differently.

    My medicine also redistributed the fat in my body. I went from a size 6 to a size 12 at the top part of my body in two months.

    2000, Johnson Publishing Company (publisher), “How To Live With AIDS: A Personal Story By Rae Lewis-Thornton”, in Jet, volume 97, number 10, page 53

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo distribute again.

Similar
reallocate
Also see
movereallocateshift

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Englishdistribute
  7. Englishredistribute

From re- + distribute.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian преразпределям
  • преразпределям (prerazpredeljam)distribute again
Dutch herverdelen
  • herverdelendistribute again
Finnish jakaa uudelleen
  • jakaa uudelleendistribute again
French redistribuer
  • redistribuerdistribute again
German umverteilen
  • umverteilendistribute again
Greek ανακατανέμω
  • ανακατανέμω (anakatanémo)distribute again
Italian ridistribuire
  • ridistribuiredistribute again
Polish dystrybuować ponownie, rozdystrybuować ponownie
  • dystrybuować ponowniedistribute again
  • rozdystrybuować ponowniedistribute again
Portuguese redistribuir
  • redistribuirdistribute again
Romanian redistribui
  • redistribuidistribute again
Russian перераспределя́ть, перераспредели́ть
  • перераспределя́ть (pereraspredeljátʹ)distribute again
  • перераспредели́ть (pereraspredelítʹ)distribute again
Spanish redistribuir
  • redistribuirdistribute again
Ukrainian перерозподіля́ти, перерозподіли́ти
  • перерозподіля́ти (pererozpodiljáty)distribute again
  • перерозподіли́ти (pererozpodilýty)distribute again
Cite this entry
APA

redistribute. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/redistribute

MLA

“redistribute.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/redistribute. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “redistribute,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/redistribute.

Source: redistribute on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.