distribution
noun
dis·tri·bu·tion
ˌdi-strə-ˈbyü-shən
1
a
: 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
2
a
: 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
3
a
: 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: a sum of money withdrawn from a fund (such as a retirement fund) and given to the beneficiary (see beneficiary sense 2b) or holder of the fund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)
b
mathematics
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
Cite this Entry
“Distribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distribution. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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