What does apportion mean?
Apportion is a formal verb meaning to divide something up and distribute it in measured shares among people, groups, or purposes. Whether the resource is money, time, work, seats in a legislature, or blame for a mistake, to apportion it is to assign each party its due or allotted part, often on some principled basis such as fairness, need, or legal formula. The word is at home in official and professional settings — legislatures apportion representatives, accountants apportion costs, courts apportion liability — but it also appears in everyday talk about how credit or fault should be shared. Its connotations are neutral to positive, suggesting orderliness and impartiality rather than generosity or favoritism. Derived from 'portion,' it belongs to a family of distribution words including allot, allocate, and prorate, with which it overlaps closely; what distinguishes apportion is its emphasis on proportional, deliberate division rather than simple handing-out.
To divide and distribute something among a number of recipients or purposes in measured or proportional shares.
"The estate was apportioned among the four heirs according to the will."
(Law) To allocate liability, tax, or costs proportionately under a rule or formula.
"Damages were apportioned between the two negligent drivers."
Especially common in tort law and tax assessment.
The word 'apportion' hides 'portion' inside it — because that's literally where it comes from: it's just 'to give someone their portion.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apportion
Apportion derives from Old French 'aportioner', formed from 'a-' plus 'portion', which itself traces back through Latin 'portio' (a share or part) from the verb 'proportio' — the same root that gives us 'portion' and 'proportion'. It entered English in the early 17th century, initially in legal contexts concerning the division of rents and liabilities. Its cognates include 'portion' and 'proportion', all reflecting the Latin idea of a measured share.
Related word forms
How apportion is actually used
Formal register; common in legal, political, financial, and administrative contexts. Frequently used with 'blame' when discussing who is responsible for a failure.
Easily confused with apportion
Appropriate means to take something for one's own use (often wrongly) or to set aside funds for a purpose, whereas apportion means to divide something into shares for distribution.