Allocatability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being able to be assigned or distributed to particular uses or recipients
2. the capacity for resources to be allocated effectively within a system
3. the potential of something to be designated for a specific purpose or goal

Etymology: Allocatability is simply "allocable" with the suffix "-ity" attached, meaning the quality of being allocable, or capable of being assigned or set aside for a particular purpose. Its formation is transparent, so the real story lies in the parts. "Allocable" is built on the verb "allocate," which comes from the Latin "allocare," to place or assign to a location, combining "ad-" (to) with "locare" (to place), and that verb is itself rooted in "locus," place. The ending does most of the work. "-ity" descends through Old French "-ite" and the Latin suffix "-itas," which turns an adjective into a noun naming a state or quality. English took this pattern up on a large scale, so a stem like "allocable" can be turned into an abstract noun without any special effort. Allocatability is the more elaborate spelling of the same noun, with "allocability" as the more common form.

Synonyms: distributability, assignability, apportionability, allotability

Antonyms: nonallocatability, indivisibility