dispense
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deal out; distribute.
to dispense wisdom.
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to administer.
to dispense the law without bias.
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Pharmacology. to make up and distribute (medicine), especially on prescription.
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Roman Catholic Church. to grant dispensation.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to give out or issue in portions
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(tr) to prepare and distribute (medicine), esp on prescription
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(tr) to administer (the law, etc)
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to do away (with) or manage (without)
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to grant a dispensation to (someone) from (some obligation of church law)
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to exempt or excuse from a rule or obligation
Usage
Dispense with is sometimes wrongly used where dispose of is meant: this task can be disposed of (not dispensed with ) quickly and easily
Related Words
See distribute.
Other Word Forms
- undispensed adjective
Etymology
Origin of dispense
1275–1325; Middle English dispensen < Medieval Latin dispēnsāre to pardon, exempt, Latin: to pay out, distribute, equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + pēnsāre, frequentative of pendere to weigh
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But despite the bruising of her sizable ego, there are still deals to be made, so she keeps Matt close, dispensing all sorts of questionable advice from her billion-dollar hilltop home.
From Los Angeles Times
Jack dispensed with the card entirely and scrounged up only $2 from his room, which he handed to Finn with an unceremonious “here.”
The promise of “New Year, New You,” meanwhile, is no longer dispensed annually but instead refreshed daily.
From Salon
It was a memorable moment before he dispensed an important piece of advice.
From Los Angeles Times
It also meant they could dispense with the services of a book keeper, saving over £6000 a year.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
