What does lotted mean?
Lotted is a word associated especially with British English, meaning allotted, assigned, or divided into shares. As the past tense and past participle of “lot,” it describes the act of giving out a portion, a responsibility, or a parcel of property: a committee may “lotted” the plots among several applicants. It can also mean that land or another divisible asset has been separated into lots for sale, development, or distribution. The related adjective “lotted” similarly describes allotted holdings or property divided in this way. Although the word is understandable in American English and remains standard in legal, administrative, and historical writing, it sounds somewhat formal and traditional in ordinary conversation. “Allotted” will usually sound more natural in modern British usage, while “assigned” or “distributed” may be preferable in American English. The term is especially memorable in land records, where it evokes the historical division of property into individual parcels.
To allot, assign, or distribute in shares or lots.
"The committee lotted the remaining plots among the applicants."
The past tense and past participle are standard in British and American English, although the word is especially associated with British usage.
Allotted or apportioned; divided or distributed in lots.
"The surveyor produced a plan showing the lotted farms around the village."
Chiefly British and now most often found in legal, administrative, or historical contexts.
In old land records, “lotted” can mean property already divided into saleable parcels—a small historical clue to how land changed hands.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lotted come from?
Lotted is a regular past-tense and past-participle formation from the English word “lot.” Old English “hlot” meant a share or portion, and the word later came to denote an individual allotment or parcel. “Allot” was borrowed through Old French from the same Germanic ancestry, while “lottery” was formed in English from the same base and its earlier sense of drawing lots.
Related word forms
How lotted is actually used
The verb forms are used in British and American English, though the word is especially associated with British usage. Attributive uses such as “lotted land” are now uncommon outside formal, legal, and historical contexts.