Legal Definitions - distribute

Definition: To distribute means to divide, apportion, or allocate. It can also refer to making a distribution of the assets in a decedent’s estate.

Examples:

• The teacher will distribute the worksheets to the students.
• The company will distribute the profits among its shareholders.
• After the will was probated, the executor was able to distribute the assets to the beneficiaries.

The first two examples illustrate the idea of dividing or apportioning something among a group. In the first example, the teacher is dividing the worksheets among the students. In the second example, the company is dividing the profits among its shareholders.

The third example illustrates the legal use of the term. When someone dies and leaves behind assets, those assets need to be distributed to their heirs or beneficiaries. The executor of the estate is responsible for making sure that the assets are divided according to the decedent's wishes or the laws of the state.