noun
Meaning 1
Cost, expenditure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
dispense
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /dɪˈspɛns/
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California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian: /dɪˈspens/
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rhymes with -ɛns
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CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S P EH1 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
The act of dispensing, dispensation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To issue, distribute, or give out.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- to dispense justice
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To supply or make up a medicine or prescription.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- The pharmacist dispensed my tablets.
- An optician can dispense spectacles.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To give a dispensation to (someone); to excuse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: particularly in canon law
Examples
- 1779–81, Samuel Johnson, "Richard Savage" in Lives of the Most Eminent English Poet He appeared to think himself born to be supported by others, and dispensed from all necessity of providing for himself.
- Every spring, the passive aggressive archbishop suffered from a brief flu that dispensed him from needing to provide Easter service to the king.
- She was dispensed from her vows and married Captain von Trapp.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To compensate; to make up; to make amends.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
give or apply (medications)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: administer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: treat, care for
Narrower terms: transfuse, digitalize, inject, shoot, give
verb
Meaning 9
administer or bestow, as in small portions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- administer critical remarks to everyone present
- dole out some money
- shell out pocket money for the children
- deal a blow to someone
- the machine dispenses soft drinks
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: distribute, administer, mete out, deal, parcel out, lot, shell out, deal out, dish out, allot, dole out
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: give
Narrower terms: assign, allot, portion, reallot, deal, give, apply
verb
Meaning 10
grant a dispensation; grant an exemption
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- I was dispensed from this terrible task
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: exempt, relieve, free
History
Etymology
From Middle English, from Old French dispenser, from Latin dispēnsāre (“to weigh out, pay out, distribute, regulate, manage, control, dispense”), frequentative of dispendere (“to weigh out”), from dis- (“apart”) + pendere (“to weigh”).
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- German: Kosten — cost, expenditure
- German: Ausgabe — cost, expenditure
- Bulgarian: раздавам (razdavam) — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Bulgarian: разпределям (razpredeljam) — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Dutch: uitgeven — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Dutch: uitdelen — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Dutch: verdelen — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Dutch: verstrekken — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Finnish: jakaa — to issue, distribute, or give out
- French: émettre — to issue, distribute, or give out
- French: distribuer — to issue, distribute, or give out
- French: partager — to issue, distribute, or give out
- French: dispenser — to issue, distribute, or give out
- German: ausgeben — to issue, distribute, or give out
- German: austeilen — to issue, distribute, or give out
- German: verteilen — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: adagol — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: kiadagol — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: kiad — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: oszt — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: kioszt — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: szétoszt — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Hungarian: eloszt — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Māori: tuari — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: utdela — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: dela ut — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: fördela — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: förmedla — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: utge — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: ge ut — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: utminutera — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Swedish: dosera — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Turkish: dağıtmak — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Turkish: tevzi etmek — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Turkish: vermek — to issue, distribute, or give out
- Dutch: toepassen — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Dutch: uitvoeren — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Finnish: jakaa — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Finnish: hallita — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Finnish: johtaa — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Hungarian: szolgáltat — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Hungarian: kiszolgáltat — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Hungarian: felad — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Spanish: administrar — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Spanish: impartir — to apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct
- Dutch: doseren — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Finnish: antaa — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Finnish: annostella — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Finnish: määrätä — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- French: doser — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- French: préparer — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- French: dispenser — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- German: dosieren — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- German: ausstellen — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Hungarian: elkészít — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Hungarian: kiad — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Spanish: dispensar — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Swedish: skriva ut — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Swedish: förskriva — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Turkish: ilaç hazırlamak — to supply or make up a medicine or prescription
- Finnish: vapauttaa — ''(obsolete in English)'' to give a dispensation to someone; to excuse
- German: entschuldigen — ''(obsolete in English)'' to give a dispensation to someone; to excuse
- Hungarian: felment — ''(obsolete in English)'' to give a dispensation to someone; to excuse
- Spanish: dispensar — ''(obsolete in English)'' to give a dispensation to someone; to excuse
- Dutch: compenseren — ''(obsolete in English)'' to compensate; to make up; to make amends
- Finnish: korvata — ''(obsolete in English)'' to compensate; to make up; to make amends
- Finnish: hyvittää — ''(obsolete in English)'' to compensate; to make up; to make amends
- Finnish: palkita — ''(obsolete in English)'' to compensate; to make up; to make amends
- German: wiedergutmachen — ''(obsolete in English)'' to compensate; to make up; to make amends