Dis`tri*bu"tion (?), n. [L. distributio: cf. F. distribution.] 1. The act of distributing or dispensing; the act of dividing or apportioning among several or many; apportionment; as, the distribution of an estate among heirs or children.

The phenomena of geological distribution are exactly analogous to those of geography.

2. Separation into parts or classes; arrangement of anything into parts; disposition; classification.

3. That which is distributed. "Our charitable distributions." Atterbury.

4. (Logic) A resolving a whole into its parts.

5. (Print.) The sorting of types and placing them in their proper boxes in the cases.

6. (Steam Engine) The steps or operations by which steam is supplied to and withdrawn from the cylinder at each stroke of the piston; viz., admission, suppression or cutting off, release or exhaust, and compression of exhaust steam prior to the next admission.

Syn. -- Apportionments; allotment; dispensation; disposal; dispersion; classification; arrangement.

• a distribution or being distributed; specifically, (a) apportionment by law (of funds, property, etc.), (b) the process by which commodities get to final consumers, including storing, selling, shipping, and advertising, (c) frequency of occurrence or extent of existence
  
• anything distributed; portion; share
  
• the result of distributing; arrangement
  
• Statistics the relative arrangements of the elements of a statistical population based on some criterion, as frequency, time, or location