Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- the act of apportioning.
- the determination of the number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives according to the proportion of the population of each state to the total population of the U.S.
- the apportioning of members of any other legislative body.
noun
- the act of apportioning
- US government the proportional distribution of the seats in a legislative body, esp the House of Representatives, on the basis of population
1620s, from apportion + -ment. Perhaps influenced by French apportionnement.
The allocation of seats in a legislature or of taxes according to a plan. In the United States Congress, for example, the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is based on the relative population of each state, whereas the apportionment in the Senate is based on equal representation for every state. (See also gerrymander.)