adjective
Common
distributed
dihs-TRIHB-yoo-tihd
Distributed (adjective) means Spread out across a wide area rather than concentrated in one place. Example: “The company now has a distributed workforce spanning several countries.”
adjective
1
Spread out across a wide area rather than concentrated in one place.
"The company now has a distributed workforce spanning several countries."
"Her team is fully distributed, with members working from home in different time zones."
"Rainfall was evenly distributed over the valley, so no single area flooded."
2
Involving many separate connected computers working together rather than one central machine.
"The app runs on a distributed database."
"Distributed systems keep running even when one of the computers fails."
"The engineers built a distributed network so no single server holds all the data."
How to use distributed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSpread across many locations or systems instead of being centralized.
Common pairings
distributed team
distributed computing
evenly distributed
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more distributed
- Superlative
- most distributed
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The company now has a _____ workforce spanning several countries.
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Rhymes for distributed
See all rhymes for distributed →Frequently asked questions
What does “distributed” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “distributed”?
“Distributed” is pronounced dihs-TRIHB-yoo-tihd (/dɪsˈtɹɪbjutɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “distributed” in a sentence?
Here is “distributed” used in a sentence: “The company now has a distributed workforce spanning several countries.”
What part of speech is “distributed”?
“Distributed” is an adjective.
Is “distributed” a common word?
“Distributed” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “distributed” have?
“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.
What is the difference between 'distributed' and 'centralized'?
'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.
What is the difference between distributed and decentralized systems?
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.
What is the difference between 'distributed' and 'dispersed'?
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.
What are common phrases that use 'distributed'?
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.
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