Distributive property is to divide because the meaning of "distribute" is to divide something or part of something.
Example: 3(4+8) = 36
You have to add the numbers first before multiplying since there are parenthesis. Usually, in the distributive property you will always see parenthesis.
Answer: To “distribute” means to divide something or give a share or part of something. According to the distributive property, multiplying the sum of two or more addends by a number will give the same result as multiplying each addend individually by the number and then adding the products together.
