distributable

IPA/dɪˈstrɪb.jə.tə.bəl/
IPA/dɪˈstrɪb.jə.t̬ə.bəl/

distributable — adjective

  • distributablepositive
  • more distributablecomparative
  • most distributablesuperlative

1. used for money, profit, or property that is allowed to be shared out, especially

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

used for money, profit, or property that is allowed to be shared out, especially to a company's shareholders

Example

The board said only half the year's profit was distributable to shareholders.

be distributable to + shareholders

After taxes and debts, the remaining cash was distributable among the four children.

be distributable among + group

Common collocations
  • distributable profit
  • distributable income
  • distributable reserves
  • distributable cash
  • distributable assets
Synonyms
  • shareable

    broader and more informal; it can describe many ordinary things, not mainly money or assets

  • available

    means ready for use, but not necessarily allowed to be paid out or divided

  • payable

    focuses on money that must be paid, not on an amount being divided among several people

Antonyms
  • non-distributable

    used for money or assets that cannot legally or formally be shared out

Grammar Patterns

distributable profits/income/reserves/cash

be distributable to + group

be distributable as + dividend/payment

Usage Note

Most often used in financial or legal writing before nouns such as profit, income, reserves, cash, or assets. It usually suggests that rules or law allow the amount to be paid out, not simply that it exists.

Common Mistakes

The bonus is distributable, so staff already received it.
The bonus is distributable, so the company is allowed to pay it out.
distributable means it can be shared out, not that the payment has already happened.
We need distributable chairs for the school fair.
We need chairs to hand out at the school fair.
distributable is mainly used for money, profits, or assets in formal financial or legal contexts.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Distributable is used when money, profit, or property can be shared out to people under a set of rules, often to shareholders or other named receivers. Payable is narrower: it focuses on money that must be paid, not on splitting an amount among several people. Available is broader and more general; it only tells you that something is there to use, not that the law or company rules allow it to be handed out. Allocable is a technical accounting word for money or costs that can be assigned to a person, project, or account. In a company report, distributable profits can be paid out to shareholders, while available cash may still need to stay in the business.

distributable ↗payable ↗available ↗allocable

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • be distributable to + group
  • be distributable as + dividend
  • remain distributable after taxes

Prepositions

  • distributable to shareholders
  • distributable among heirs
  • distributable as dividends

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Distributable is formed from distribute and the suffix -able. Distribute came into English through Latin distribuere, meaning 'to divide up' or 'to give out in shares'. The ending -able adds the idea 'able to be', so distributable literally means 'able to be given out or divided among people'.