Gives out or delivers to a number of recipients. Spreads or disperses something over an area or among a group of people.
From Latin distribuere meaning 'to divide among' (dis- 'apart' + tribuere 'to assign, grant'). The root tribuere comes from tribus 'tribe,' originally referring to dividing things among the three original Roman tribes. Entered English in the 15th century.
The tribal origins of 'distribute' remind us that sharing resources fairly among groups has been a fundamental human challenge since ancient times. In the digital age, distribution has become incredibly complex—we distribute not just physical goods but data, attention, and even processing power across vast networks.
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