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redistribute

C2
verb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /rˌiːdɪstrˈɪbjuːt/

US

  • /ˌridɪˈstrɪbjut/

Description

Imagine a baker making cookies for a party. At first, she puts all the cookies on one tray, but then she decides everyone would be happier if they were easier to reach. So she moves some from the crowded tray to smaller plates around the room.

To redistribute means to share something out again, often in a new or fairer way. Governments might redistribute wealth through taxes and social programs to help people who have less. A teacher might redistribute classroom tasks so everyone gets a fair chance to take part. It usually means taking something from one place or group and giving it to another. Sometimes it is done to make things work better, like spreading work more evenly across a team. Other times it is done to make things fairer.

Examples

  1. 1

    Disaster aid

    After the earthquake, aid workers redistributed food and water to villages that had received too little.

  2. 2

    Workload

    The company had to redistribute the work when two people on the team quit.

  3. 3

    Sports coaching

    The coach redistributed playing time so that younger players could get more experience.

  4. 4

    Tax policy

    The tax plan would redistribute money from richer areas to poorer ones.

    • Pattern

      redistribute + thing from A to B

      move it from one group or place to another

  5. 5

    Organizational power

    The reform was supposed to redistribute power away from senior managers and toward local offices.

    • Pattern

      redistribute power

      change who has control

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • redistributeverb

Forms

  • redistributedpast tenseverb
  • redistributing-ing formverb
  • redistributesverb