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distribution

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dis⋅tri⋅bu⋅tion

[dis-truh-byoo-shuhn]
–noun
1. an act or instance of distributing.
2. the state or manner of being distributed.
3. arrangement; classification.
4. something that is distributed.
5. the frequency of occurrence or the natural geographic range or place where any item or category of items occurs: What is the distribution of coniferous forests in the world?
6. placement, location, arrangement, or disposition: The distribution of our troops is a military secret.
7. apportionment: The court decided the distribution of the property among the heirs.
8. the delivery or giving out of an item or items to the intended recipients, as mail or newspapers.
9. the total number of an item delivered, sold, or given out: The distribution of our school paper is now 800.
10. the marketing, transporting, merchandising, and selling of any item.
11. (in bridge and other card games) the way in which the suits of a deck of cards are, or one specific suit is, divided or apportioned in one player's hand or among the hands of all the players: My distribution was six spades, four hearts, two clubs, and a singleton diamond.
12. Economics.
a. the division of the aggregate income of any society among its members, or among the factors of production.
b. the system of dispersing goods throughout a community.
13. Statistics. a set of values or measurements of a set of elements, each measurement being associated with an element.
14. Mathematics. a generalized function used esp. in solving differential equations.

Origin:
1375–1425; late ME (< AF) < L distribūtiōn- (s. of distribūtiō). See distribute, -ion


dis⋅tri⋅bu⋅tion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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dis·tri·bu·tion   (dĭs'trə-byōō'shən)   
n.  
  1. The act of distributing or the condition of being distributed; apportionment.

  2. Something distributed; an allotment.

  3. The act of dispersing or the condition of being dispersed; diffusion.

    1. The geographic occurrence or range of an organism.

    2. The geographic occurrence or range of a custom, usage, or other feature.

  4. Division into categories; classification.

  5. The process of marketing and supplying goods, especially to retailers.

  6. A spatial or temporal array of objects or events: the distribution of theaters on Broadway.

  7. Law The division of an estate or property among rightful heirs.

  8. Statistics A set of numbers and their frequency of occurrence collected from measurements over a statistical population.

  9. Mathematics A generalized function used in the study of partial differential equations.

dis'tri·bu'tion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

distribution

The process of marketing and merchandising goods. Also, the way in which wealth or goods or services are allotted, as in the distribution of wealth.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

distribution 
1382, from L. distributionem, from distribuere "deal out in portions," from dis- "individually" + tribuere "assign, allot."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Distribution

1. An occurrence where trading volume is, without any price appreciation, higher than that of the previous day.

2. A removal of assets from a retirement account that is paid to the retirement account owner or beneficiary.

3. A company's payment of cash, stock or physical products to their shareholders.

Investopedia Commentary

1. A market that is in distribution has already hit its apex and is expected to decline.

2. The retirement account owner (or beneficiary) may be required to pay income tax on distributions received during the year. Early-distribution penalties may also apply if the distribution occurs while the retirement account owner is under the age of 59.5. While distributions from IRAs can occur at any time, certain requirements must be met before distributions can occur from qualified plans, 457 plans, and 403(b) accounts. Participants must check with their employer regarding the rules of the plan.

Related Links

Preparing for the RMD Season - Part 2
Preparing for the RMD Season - Part 1
Taking Penalty-Free Withdrawals From Your IRA
Introductory Tour through Retirement Plans

See also: Bear, Bull, Chartist, Consolidation, Dividend, IRA, Rollover, Technical Analysis, Volume, XD, XDIS

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Financial Dictionary

distribution

  1. See public offering.

  2. An investment company payment to its shareholders of capital gains realized from the sale of securities. Investment company shareholders, not the investment company, pay taxes on a distribution.


Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: dis·tri·bu·tion
Pronunciation: "dis-tr&-'byü-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the act or process of distributing: as a : the apportionment by a court of the property and esp. personal property of an intestate among those entitled to it according to statute —compare DESCENT, DEVISE
NOTE: The laws dealing with intestate succession are often called laws of descent and distribution. b : the payment or transfer to a beneficiary of interest to which he or she is entitled under a trust c : the transfer by a corporation or mutual fund of money or property to a shareholder in his or her capacity as a shareholder d : the initial offering to the public of a security by a corporation e : the delivery of a controlled substance
2 : something distributed —dis·tri·bu·tive /di-'stri-byu-tiv/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: dis·tri·bu·tion
Pronunciation: "dis-tr&-'byü-sh&n
Function: noun
: the pattern of branching and termination ofa ramifying anatomical structure (as a nerve or artery)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

distribution dis·tri·bu·tion (dĭs'trə-by&oomacr;'shən)
n.

  1. The extension of the branches of arteries or nerves to the tissues and organs.

  2. The area in which the branches of an artery or a nerve terminate, or the area supplied by such an artery or nerve.

  3. A set of numbers and their frequency of occurrence from measurements within a statistical population.


dis'tri·bu'tion·al adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

distribution
1. A software source tree packaged for distribution; but see kit.
2. A vague term encompassing mailing lists and Usenet newsgroups (but not BBS fora); any topic-oriented message channel with multiple recipients.
3. An information-space domain (usually loosely correlated with geography) to which propagation of a Usenet message is restricted; a much-underused feature.
[The Jargon File]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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