administer or bestow, as in small portions
"administer critical remarks to everyone present"
"dole out some money"
"shell out pocket money for the children"
"deal a blow to someone"
"the machine dispenses soft drinks"
distribute or disperse widely
"The invaders spread their language all over the country"
cause to be distributed
"This letter is being circulated among the faculty"
cause to become widely known
"spread information"
"circulate a rumor"
"broadcast the news"
be mathematically distributive
"In Boolean algebra, the AND operation distributes over OR, meaning that A and (B or C) is always equal to (A and B) or (A and C)."
To divide into portions and dispense.
"The teacher distributed worksheets to every student in the classroom."
In plain English: To distribute means to give out items so that everyone gets some of them.
"The teacher gave each student a copy of the worksheet to distribute during class."
The English word "distribute" comes from the Latin verb distribuere, which means to divide or share things apart by giving them out. This root combines a prefix meaning "apart" with another element related to giving, reflecting its original sense of distributing goods among people.