delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈli-v(ə-)rē How to pronounce delivery (audio)
dē-
plural deliveries
: the act or manner of delivering something
also : something delivered

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The door, inspired by Dante’s Inferno and later known as The Gates of Hell was commissioned for delivery in 1884. Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 International benchmark Brent crude futures with August delivery traded 0.3% higher at $76.69 per barrel at 2:02 p.m. London time. Sam Meredith, CNBC, 18 June 2025 Amazon delivery: Driver caught pooping and peeing on customers' property Affidavit: Man peed on Vienna sausages and spam The affidavit goes on to show that after the incident, the man was in the store for an additional 10 minutes, bought items, and then left. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 18 June 2025 Both Democrats and Republicans in the House have received the unsolicited pizza deliveries, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. Jack Date, ABC News, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for delivery

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delivery was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Delivery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delivery. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

delivery

noun
de·​liv·​ery di-ˈliv-(ə-)rē How to pronounce delivery (audio)
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 How to pronounce delivery (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on delivery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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