Appropriations refers to the act or process of setting aside money or resources for a specific use, typically by a government or organization. It can also denote the allocated sums themselves. The term is often used in policy, budgeting, and legal contexts to describe formal authorization of spending. In everyday usage, it can carry formal, bureaucratic connotations.
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"The appropriations bill passed after weeks of debate in Congress."
"State agencies rely on annual appropriations to fund programs and services."
"There were calls to reallocate appropriations toward education and healthcare."
"The budget office issued an analysis of how the new appropriations would affect deficits."
Appropriations comes from the Latin appropriatus, meaning ‘to fit to, set aside for a particular use.’ It derives from ad- ‘toward’ + proprius ‘one’s own, proper’ (via proprius and appropriatus), reflecting the act of setting funds toward a particular purpose. The English verb appropriate (to take for oneself) shares the same root, but appropriations as a noun plurals the process and amounts. The word entered English in the 15th–16th centuries in legal and accounting contexts, evolving from “appropriatus” in Latin legal phraseology to describe sanctioned allocations of money. Over time, the phrase shifted from “the thing that is made proper for use” to specifically denote public or organizational money set aside by law or policy. By the 19th and 20th centuries, appropriations became a standard term in government budgeting, with formal processes and committees responsible for proposing and approving specific funds. The plural form emphasizes multiple allocations or annual cycles, distinguishing it from the singular act of appropriation. The word maintains a technical, bureaucratic register in modern usage, particularly in governmental fiscal documentation, budgets, and legislative language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "appropriations" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "appropriations"
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Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as ə-prə-PREE-AY-shuhnz with four primary syllables and primary stress on the third: /əˌproʊ.priˈeɪ.ʃənz/. Start with a schwa, then a quick pro- (rhymes with 'pro'), elevate to PRI (the stressed syllable), then a-tionz with a soft 'sh' before the 'ənz' ending. Mouth: relaxed lips for /ə/, neutral to light rounded /oʊ/ in 'pro', tip of tongue near alveolar ridge for /pri/, and a final alveolar final /nz/ with slight horn of the tongue. You’ll hear the 'eɪ' as a clear ei sound in American practice; UK and AU share the same core rhythm, but the preceding vowels may be slightly crisper in non-rhotic accents.
Two common mistakes: (1) Misplacing stress on the second or fourth syllable, producing a-PRo-pri-a-tions or a-pro-pri- a-tions. (2) Not producing the /eɪ/ in the third syllable clearly, merging /eɪ/ with /iː/ or /aɪ/. Correction: keep the primary stress on the third syllable: /əˌproʊ.priˈeɪ.ʃənz/ and clearly articulate /eɪ/ as a distinct vowel before /ʃənz/. Practice by isolating the /priˈeɪ/ cluster and using a short, crisp glide from /r/ to /iˈeɪ/.
In US English, you’ll hear /əˌproʊ.priˈeɪ.ʃənz/ with rhotic r and clear /oʊ/ in /proʊ/. UK English tends to non-rhoticize the final /z/ and may have a slightly less pronounced /oʊ/; /əˌprəʊ.priˈeɪ.ʃənz/ is common with a double 'o' in /prəʊ/. Australian typically aligns with US rhotic practice but with a broader vowel in the /əˌprəʊ/ or /əˌprəprɪˈeɪ/ sequences and reduced final /z/ quality in some registers. Core stress remains on the third syllable across accents.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic sequence with a heavy trochaic onset and a tertiary stress on the third syllable, creating an extended /oʊ/ then a sudden /pri/ cluster and a final /ˈeɪ.ʃənz/. The /ə/ initial vowel is quick, testing your ability to maintain a smooth transition into the /proʊ/ and then the high-energy /eɪ/ before the /ʃənz/. Practicing the /priˈeɪ/ chunk in isolation helps stabilize the rhythm.
Yes. The final 's' is pronounced as a voiced /z/ or voiceless /s/ depending on the surrounding sounds; in most standard American and British pronunciations, it is voiced as /z/ because the preceding sound is a vowel. So the ending is /-zənz/ with a z sound linking to the final syllable, resulting in /-ʃənz/. Keep your voicing consistent, avoiding a silent ending. In careful, formal speech, you’ll pronounce the final /z/ clearly: /ˈeɪ.ʃənz/ ending sound.
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