Gram. referring individually to all members of a group: “each” and “either” are distributive words
Math. of or having to do with a property, law, or principle in which the relationship between two combined operations, as multiplication and addition or multiplication and subtraction, is such that the results are the same whether the first operation is done on each item of a set and then combined or done once on the items in the set that have already been combined (Ex.: a(b + c) = ab + ac)
See distributive in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(dĭ-strĭbˈyə-tĭv)
adjective
a. Of, relating to, or involving distribution.
b. Serving to distribute.
Mathematics Of or relating to a rule that the same product results in multiplication when performed on a set of numbers as when performed on members of the set individually. If a × (b + c) = a × b + a × c, then × is distributive over +.
Grammar Referring to each individual or entity of a group separately rather than collectively, as every in the sentence Every employee attended the meeting.