Unallocate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To withdraw or take away a previously assigned resource or allocation
2. To reverse the action of designating a specific resource for a particular purpose or entity
3. To remove a designation of funds or resources, rendering them available for other uses

Etymology: "Unallocate" is simply the English prefix "un-", meaning "reverse" or "undo", attached to "allocate." "Allocate" comes from the Latin "allocare," meaning "to place or assign to a location," built from "ad-" ("to") and "locare" ("to place"), itself from "locus" ("place"). The root sense is therefore physical placement: setting something down in a particular spot before it came to mean assigning a share of money or goods. The "un-" prefix is productive in English and attaches to many verbs, usually to reverse an action, as in "unload," "untie," or "unpack." "Unallocate" follows the same pattern, reversing the act of assigning a sum or resource so that it returns to general availability. Because it is formed by regular prefixing rather than borrowed, it is a relatively recent coinage typical of administrative and budgetary language, and its exact date of first use is not something I can confirm.