distributed

The word “distributed” means spread out across a wide area rather than concentrated in one place. In plain terms, spread across many locations or systems instead of being centralized.

“Distributed” is pronounced dihs-TRIHB-yoo-tihd (/dɪsˈtɹɪbjutɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “distributed” used in a sentence: “The company now has a distributed workforce spanning several countries.”

“Distributed” is an adjective.

“Distributed” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Distributed” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: spread out across a wide area rather than concentrated in one place.

'Distributed' means spread out across many separate locations or machines rather than gathered in one place. 'Centralized' is its opposite, describing a system in which control, data, or resources are concentrated in a single central point.

In a distributed system, many connected computers work together on a shared task, though control may still be coordinated. In a decentralized system there is no single point of control at all, so 'decentralized' emphasises the absence of a central authority while 'distributed' emphasises the spread of the work.

Both words describe things spread over a wide area rather than concentrated together, and they often overlap. 'Distributed' frequently implies a deliberate or organised spread, especially in computing, while 'dispersed' suggests a more scattered or accidental spreading out.

Common collocations include 'distributed system,' 'distributed computing,' 'distributed network,' and 'distributed ledger,' all referring to many connected machines working together. In a non-technical sense you will also see 'evenly distributed' and 'widely distributed' to describe how something is spread out.