distribute

Distribute is a verb with several related senses. The most common is to give out or apportion something among a number of recipients, such as distributing aid, posters, or tasks. It can also mean to spread something over an area or through time, for example distributing seeds across a field or distributing responsibilities across a team.

In statistics and probability, distribution refers to how values or outcomes are arranged or how probabilities are assigned. A probability distribution assigns probabilities to outcomes; its description often uses a probability density function for continuous variables or a probability mass function for discrete variables, and may be summarized with a mean and variance. The term is used for well-known distributions (normal, binomial, Poisson, exponential) and for the broader concept of distribution in descriptive statistics, data visualization, or inferential contexts.

In business and logistics, distribution denotes the process of delivering goods from producers to customers, including warehousing, transportation, order fulfillment, and channel management. Distribution networks are designed to optimize cost, speed, and service levels and can involve intermediaries such as wholesalers and retailers.

In other domains, distribution can describe spatial patterns: the geographic distribution of a population, resources, or species. In computing, software distribution refers to the release and deployment of software to users, often via package managers, repositories, or application stores.