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Webster 1913 Edition

Distribution

Disˊtri-bu′tion

,
Noun.
[L.
distributio
: cf. F.
distribution
.]
1.
The act of distributing or dispensing; the act of dividing or apportioning among several or many; apportionment;
as, the
distribution
of an estate among heirs or children
.
The phenomena of geological
distribution
are exactly analogous to those of geography.
A. R. Wallace.
2.
Separation into parts or classes; arrangement of anything into parts; disposition; classification.
3.
That which is distributed.
“Our charitable distributions.”
Atterbury.
4.
(Logic)
A resolving a whole into its parts.
5.
(Print.)
The sorting of types and placing them in their proper boxes in the cases.
6.
(Steam Engine)
The steps or operations by which steam is supplied to and withdrawn from the cylinder at each stroke of the piston; viz., admission, suppression or cutting off, release or exhaust, and compression of exhaust steam prior to the next admission.
Syn. – Apportionments; allotment; dispensation; disposal; dispersion; classification; arrangement.

Webster 1828 Edition

Distribution

DISTRIBUTION

,
Noun.
[L.]
1.
The act of dividing among a number; a dealing in parts or portions; as the distribution of an estate among heirs or children.
2.
The act of giving in charity; a bestowing in parts.
3.
Dispensation; administration to numbers; a rendering to individuals; as the distribution of justice.
4.
The act of separating into distinct parts or classes; as the distribution of plants into genera and species.
5.
In architecture, the dividing and disposing of the several parts of the building, according to some plan, or to the rules of the art.
6.
In rhetoric, a division and enumeration of the several qualities of a subject.
7.
In general, the division and disposition of the parts of any thing.
8.
In printing, the taking a form apart; the separating of the types, and placing each letter in its proper cell in the cases.

Definition 2024

Distribution

Distribution

See also: distribution

German

Noun

Distribution f ‎(genitive Distribution, plural Distributionen)

  1. distribution

distribution

distribution

See also: Distribution

English

Alternative forms

Noun

distribution ‎(countable and uncountable, plural distributions)

Mind map
  1. An act of distributing or state of being distributed.
  2. An apportionment by law (of funds, property).
  3. (business, marketing) The process by which goods get to final consumers over a geographical market, including storing, selling, shipping and advertising.
  4. The frequency of occurrence or extent of existence.
  5. Anything distributed; portion; share.
    • Atterbury
      our charitable distributions
  6. The result of distributing; arrangement.
  7. (mathematics, statistics) A probability distribution; the set of relative likelihoods that a variable will have a value in a given interval.
  8. (computing) A set of bundled software components; distro.
  9. (economics) The apportionment of income or wealth in a population.
    The wealth distribution became extremely skewed in the kleptocracy.
  10. (finance) The process or result of the sale of securities, especially their placement among investors with long-term investment strategies.
  11. (logic) The resolution of a whole into its parts.
  12. (printing, historical) The process of sorting the types and placing them in their proper boxes in the cases.
  13. (steam engines) The steps or operations by which steam is supplied to and withdrawn from the cylinder at each stroke of the piston: admission, suppression or cutting off, release or exhaust, and compression of exhaust steam prior to the next admission.
  14. (rhetoric) A rhetorical technique in which a subject is divided into multiple cases based on some property or properties, and each case is addressed individually.
    • 1553, Thomas Wilson, The Arte of Rhetorique (1962), book iii, folio 99, page 209 s.v. “Diſtribucion”:
      It is alſo called a diſtribucion, when we diuide the whole, into ſeuerall partes, and ſaie we haue foure poynctes, whereof we purpoſe to ſpeake, compꝛehendyng our whole talke within compaſſe of theſame.
    • 1728, Ephraim Chambers, Cyclopædia I, page 230/2 s.v. “Diſtribution²”:
      Diſtribution, in Rhetoric, a Kind of Deſcription; or a Figure, whereby an orderly Diviſion, and Enumeration is made of the principal Qualities of a Subject.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

French

Etymology

From Classical Latin distributio, from distribuere 'to distribute', itself from dis- 'apart' + tribuere 'to ' (from tribus).

Pronunciation

Noun

distribution f ‎(plural distributions)

  1. A distribution
  2. A physical arrangement, spacing

...

Related terms

Swedish

Noun

distribution c

  1. distribution, dissemination
  2. (mathematics) a distribution, generalized function
  3. (statistics) a distribution

Declension

Inflection of distribution 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative distribution distributionen distributioner distributionerna
Genitive distributions distributionens distributioners distributionernas

Synonyms

statistics

Etymology

From Classical Latin distributio.

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