Home › Engineering & Industrial Design › Supply Chain Engineering › distribution

distribution

dis-trih-BYOO-shun /ˌdɪs.trɪˈbjuː.ʃən/

nounB1IELTSTOEFLSAT

BusinessGeneral

The action of sharing something out among a number of recipients; the process of making a product available for purchase.

In supply chain, distribution is the 'last mile'—the final stage of getting the product from the warehouse to the customer.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'distribuere,' meaning 'to assign or divide into portions.' The root 'tribuere' is the same as in 'tribute'—something given to a leader.

Word relationships

allocation: Allocation is the decision of how much to give; distribution is the physical act of giving it.
dissemination: Dissemination is usually used for information; distribution is used for physical goods.

collection: Collection is the act of gathering things together, the opposite of distributing them.

Commonly confused with

logistics: Logistics is the overall management; distribution is the specific act of delivery.

Word family

distribute (verb): To give shares of something.
distributor (noun): An agent who supplies goods to stores.

Collocations

distribution center
distribution network
mass distribution
distribution channel

Example sentences

"Physical distribution is today's frontier in business. It is the one area where results of great magnitude can still be achieved." A famous business insight on the importance of delivery.
"The unequal distribution of resources led to significant tension between the northern and southern provinces." Discussing wealth inequality.

Memory hook

You 'distribute' (give out) the 'tribute' (goods) to the 'district' (recipients). Spread it out.

When not to use

Don't use it for the act of creating something; it is only about the act of spreading it out.

Fun facts

In statistics, a 'normal distribution' is the famous bell curve that describes how many things in nature are spread out.