delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈli-v(ə-)rē 

dē-

plural deliveries

1

: the act or manner of delivering something: such as

a(1)

: the act of taking something to a person or place

Delivery of the package is scheduled for this morning.

The restaurant makes/does deliveries. [=takes food to customers]

(2)

law : the transfer of possession or control of property to another

b

: the act or process of giving birth

The doctor expects a routine delivery.

c

: the way something is said officially or publicly

The comic's delivery was terrible.

d

sports : the way a ball is thrown or released (as in baseball or cricket)

2

: something delivered

I received my delivery.

Synonyms of delivery

• release
• discharge

Examples of delivery in a Sentence

The delivery is scheduled for this morning.

The company offers free delivery with orders over $100.

Someone has to be home to accept delivery of the package.

Allow six weeks for delivery.

The baby weighed almost seven pounds at the time of delivery.

The doctor expects it to be a routine delivery.

The doctor has had three deliveries today.

The joke was funny, but his delivery was terrible.

I need to work on my delivery before I give the speech.

Recent Examples on the Web

City officials noted food programs including after school meals by Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Double Up Food Bucks Program through neighborhood stores, the Age Strong Commission resources, and meal delivery for those who cannot leave their homes. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 25 Nov. 2025

The former investment banker helped usher the Indonesian ride-hailing and delivery giant to its first profit over a two-and-a-half-year tenure as CEO. —Olivia Poh, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025

Others line up to serve as day laborers, filling sacks with sand transported by barge and then carrying them on their backs to delivery trucks. —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

My mind can’t help but linger on Taylor’s line delivery around a fire one evening. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English delevery, delyverey "yielding, surrendering, disbursement," probably borrowed from Anglo-French deliveré "handing over," noun derivative from past participle of delivrer "to save, hand over, deliver"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing delivery

• breech delivery
• curbside pickup/delivery
• delivery boy
• delivery room
• general delivery
• on delivery
• pre-delivery
• recorded delivery
• rural free delivery
• special delivery
• take delivery of

Rhymes for delivery

• herbivory
• livery
• nondelivery
• redelivery

Kids Definition

delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈliv-(ə-)rē 

plural deliveries

1

: a delivering from something that restricts or burdens

2

a

: the act of handing over

b

: a legal transfer of right or title

c

: something delivered at one time or in one unit

3

: the action of giving birth

4

: a delivering especially of a speech

5

: manner or style of delivering

Medical Definition

delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈliv-(ə-)rē 

plural deliveries

1

: the act of giving birth : the expulsion or extraction of a fetus and its membranes : parturition

2

: the procedure of assisting birth of the fetus and expulsion of the placenta by manual, instrumental, or surgical means

Legal Definition

delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery

plural deliveries

: an act that shows a transferor's intent to make a transfer of property (as a gift)

especially : the transfer of possession or exclusive control of property to another

— actual delivery

: a delivery (as by hand or shipment) of actual physical property (as jewelry or stock certificates)

— conditional delivery

: a delivery after which ownership will be transferred upon fulfillment of a condition compare gift causa mortis at gift

Note: A conditional delivery is usually made in order to make a transfer revocable.

— constructive delivery

: a delivery of a representation of property (as a written instrument) or means of possession (as a key) that is construed by a court as sufficient to show the transferor's intent or to put the property under the transferee's control

called also symbolic delivery