deliver

verb

de·​liv·​er di-ˈli-vər How to pronounce deliver (audio)
dē-
delivered; delivering di-ˈli-v(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce deliver (audio)
dē-
; delivers

transitive verb

1
: to set free
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evilMatthew 6:13 (King James Version)
2
a
: to take and hand over to or leave for another : convey
deliver a package
b
: hand over, surrender
delivered the prisoners to the sheriff
delivered themselves over to God
c
: to send, provide, or make accessible to someone electronically
deliver an email/text message
Have the information delivered to you via e-mail, cell phone, pager, instant messaging, or just on a Web page that you set up.Irene B. McDermott
When Netflix entered the European market in 2012, some national telecom companies forced it to pay "tolls" to deliver content to customers.Liz Alderman and Amie Tsang
3
a(1)
: to assist (a pregnant female) in giving birth
The doctor delivered several women.
(2)
: to aid in the birth of
delivered a baby
b
: to give birth to
After four months of bed rest at home, she delivered a healthy baby boy.Anita Lewis and Joyce Sasson Levy
c
: to cause (oneself) to produce as if by giving birth
has delivered himself of half an autobiographyH. C. Schonberg
4
: speak, sing, utter
delivered a fiery sermon to the congregation
deliver a song
deliver a speech
5
: to send (something aimed or guided) to an intended target or destination
ability to deliver nuclear warheads
delivered a fastball
6
a
: to bring (something, such as votes) to the support of a candidate or cause
… were counting on Mr. Cisneros to deliver the Hispanic vote for Michael Dukakis.Alfredo Corchado
b
: to come through with : produce
can deliver the best results
The new car delivers high gas mileage.

intransitive verb

: to produce the promised, desired, or expected results : come through
can't deliver on all these promises
a hitter who can deliver in the clutch
deliverability noun
deliverable adjective
deliverer noun
Phrases
deliver the goods
: to give results that are promised, expected, or desired
Choose the Right Synonym for deliver

rescue, deliver, redeem, ransom, reclaim, save mean to set free from confinement or danger.

rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering.

delivered his people from bondage

redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary.

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity.

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased.

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence.

an operation that saved my life

Examples of deliver in a Sentence

The package was delivered to the office this morning. She delivers the mail on my street. They are having the furniture delivered next week. The supermarket delivers groceries for free within 30 miles of the store. “Does the restaurant deliver?” “No, you have to pick up the food yourself.” He will deliver the speech at noon. The actors delivered their lines with passion. The jury is expected to deliver a verdict later today. The judge delivered a warning to the protesters. The novel delivers an inspiring look into the life and ideas of Gandhi.
Recent Examples on the Web Every day a driver stops by around 10 a.m. and delivers a meal provided by Jewish Family Service of L.A. that has a protein, a vegetable, a carbohydrate and fruit. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 On Thursday, Chappell Roan delivered a campy, early-Lady-Gaga-esque performance of some of the standouts from her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess on NPR‘s Tiny Desk. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 Lion & Dove has been a consistent brand, delivering quality at an affordable price. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 But the prohibition does concern some lawmakers because many relief agencies say there is no way to replace its ability to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States and others are trying to send to Gaza, where a quarter of the 2.3 million residents are starving. Kevin Freking, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 Pharma companies say they are justified because the treatments can potentially cure patients, generating savings for the health-care system over time and delivering other societal benefits. TIME, 21 Mar. 2024 The Jeffersonville lawmaker, who was elected to the Statehouse in 2018, is a retired OB-GYN who delivered around 7,000 babies in her career. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2024 In the audio world, products such as the Thorens TD 124 DD are simply timeless, while delivering performance that will embarrass most brand-new turntables. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 The operation will include construction of a floating pier at sea that will allow ships to deliver aid, which will then be loaded onto Navy support vessels and offloaded onto a floating causeway. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deliver.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French deliverer, delivrer, from Late Latin deliberare, from Latin de- + liberare to liberate

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deliver was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near deliver

Cite this Entry

“Deliver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deliver. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deliver

verb
de·​liv·​er di-ˈliv-ər How to pronounce deliver (audio)
delivered; delivering -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce deliver (audio)
1
: to set free : save
deliver us from evil
2
: hand over, transfer
deliver a letter
3
a
: to assist in giving birth
also : to aid in the birth of
b
: to give birth to
4
: utter entry 2 sense 2
deliver a speech
5
: to send to an intended target or destination
deliver a pitch
6
: to produce the promised, desired, or expected results
deliver on a promise
deliverable adjective
deliverer noun

Medical Definition

deliver

verb
de·​liv·​er di-ˈliv-ər How to pronounce deliver (audio)
delivered; delivering -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce deliver (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to assist (a parturient female) in giving birth
she was delivered of a fine boy
b
: to aid in the birth of
sometimes it is necessary to deliver a child with forceps
2
: to give birth to
she delivered a pair of healthy twins after a short labor

intransitive verb

: to give birth to offspring
patients that repeatedly deliver prematurely present special problems

Legal Definition

deliver

transitive verb
de·​liv·​er
delivered; delivering
: to transfer possession of (property) to another : put into the possession or exclusive control of another
a deed must be delivered to be effectiveW. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
see also gift compare bail, convey, donate, give, sell
deliverable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on deliver

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