1. The property or quality of being distributive; in mathematics, the principle that multiplication distributes over addition (e.g., a(b + c) = ab + ac).
Usage: primarily used in mathematics and logic
2. In linguistics, the property of a word or phrase that can be applied separately to each member of a group.
Usage: technical linguistic term

Examples

• The distributivity of multiplication over addition is a fundamental property taught in algebra.
• Students learn about distributivity when they expand expressions like 3(x + 2).
• In logic, distributivity allows us to transform complex statements into simpler equivalent forms.
• The distributivity law helps simplify mathematical equations and proofs.
• Linguists study the distributivity of adjectives to understand how they modify nouns in a sentence.