distribute
gb/dɪstɹˈɪbjut/ us/dɪstɹˈɪbjut/
B1
English
~ 2800
kioszt, szétoszt, eloszt, szétrak, szétterít, forgalmaz, beszállít
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to distribute [something] to [someone/something]
The volunteers distributed blankets to the homeless.
Az önkéntesek takarókat osztottak ki a hajléktalanoknak.
The teacher distributed the exam papers to the students.
A tanár kiosztotta a vizsgalapokat a diákoknak.
The charity distributed food to families in need.
They distributed flyers to promote the event.
Learner examples
The teacher distributed books to the class.
A tanár könyveket osztott ki az osztálynak.
She distributed water to the runners.
Vizet osztott ki a futóknak.
The man distributed bread to the poor.
They distributed toys to the children.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'distribute' with 'deliver', but 'distribute' usually involves giving to more than one person or place.
Meaning
Give things to several people
Collocations
distribute leaflets
|distribute food
|distribute resources
|distribute evenly
|distribute copies
Synonyms
hand out (More informal; often used for small-scale giving, like papers or flyers.)
|
deliver (Focuses on bringing something to a place or person, not necessarily to many people.)
Antonyms
collect (Means to gather items from people instead of giving them out.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|education
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To give something to each person in a group.
To give or deliver something to each member of a group.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to distribute [something] across/over [an area]
The weight of the roof is distributed evenly across the walls.
A tető súlya egyenletesen oszlik el a falakon.
The software distributes processing tasks among several servers.
A szoftver több szerver között osztja el a feldolgozási feladatokat.
Heat is distributed throughout the room by the radiator.
Learner examples
The teacher asked us to distribute the chairs around the room.
A tanár megkért minket, hogy rakjuk szét a székeket a teremben.
The machine distributes water across the field.
A gép egyenletesen elosztja a vizet a szántóföldön.
The weight is distributed between the two wheels.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'assign', but 'assign' usually refers to giving specific roles or tasks, not physical spreading.
Meaning
Spread over a space or range
Collocations
distribute weight
|distribute evenly
|distribute force
|distribute pressure
Synonyms
spread (More general; can refer to both physical and figurative contexts.)
|
allocate (More formal; often used in non-physical contexts like money or time.)
Antonyms
concentrate (Means to gather something into one place instead of spreading it out.)
Themes
science
|engineering
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To spread something over an area.
To arrange or spread something over an area, space, or range.
VERB
B2
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
to distribute [products/goods] to [locations/customers]
The company distributes its products across Europe.
A vállalat Európa-szerte forgalmazza a termékeit.
They distribute fresh produce to local supermarkets.
Friss zöldséget és gyümölcsöt szállítanak helyi szupermarketeknek.
This brand is distributed exclusively by one wholesaler.
Learner examples
The farm distributes vegetables to many shops.
A gazdaság sok üzletbe szállít zöldséget.
They distribute phones to stores in many cities.
Számos város üzleteibe szállítanak telefonokat.
The company distributes clothes all over the country.
Meaning
Supply goods for sale
Collocations
distribute products
|distribute merchandise
|distribute goods
Synonyms
supply (More general; can apply to any provision of goods or resources.)
|
deliver (Focuses on bringing goods to a specific place rather than managing a supply network.)
Antonyms
withhold (Means not providing goods that are expected or needed.)
Themes
business
|commerce
|finance
|work
Definition
To send goods to shops or people who will sell them.
To supply and deliver goods to stores or customers, often through a commercial network.
Grammar
Dictionary form
distribute
IPA
GB/dɪstɹˈɪbjut/
US/dɪstɹˈɪbjut/
Syllables & stress
dis - trib - ute (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (trib)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: distribute
- 3rd Person Singular: distributes
- Present Participle: distributing
- Past: distributed
Word family
Forms
distributes
verb
distributing
verb
distributed
verb
Core family
distribution
noun B1
distributor
noun B2
Related words
Advanced or less common
distributive
adjective
Expressions
be widely distributed
1/bˈi wˈaɪdli dɪstɹˈɪbjətɪd/
fixed phrase
Exist in many places or groups
To be present in many places or found among many people.
Examples
- This bird species is widely distributed across North America.
- The software is widely distributed in schools around the country.
distribute evenly
1/dɪstɹˈɪbjut ˈivənli/
fixed phrase
Spread equally in all parts
To spread something so that each part gets the same amount.
Examples
- Make sure to distribute the butter evenly on the bread.
- The teacher distributed the tasks evenly among the students.