dispatch

verb dis·patch \ di-ˈspach \

Definition of dispatch

transitive verb

1 :to send off or away with promptness or speed

dispatch a letter

dispatch an ambulance to the scene

; especially :to send off on official business

dispatch a messenger

2 a :to kill with quick efficiency

dispatched the deer with one shot

b obsolete :deprive

3 :to dispose of (something, such as a task) rapidly or efficiently

anxious to dispatch the matter

… household business could not be dispatched hastily by Mrs. Tulliver.
—George Eliot

4 :defeat 3

easily dispatching each team they played

intransitive verb

archaic :to make haste :hurry

—

dispatcher

noun

See dispatch defined for English-language learners

See dispatch defined for kids

Examples of dispatch in a Sentence

Rescue workers were immediately dispatched to the area.
The hotel dispatched a limo to pick us up from the airport.
He dispatched the guard with one bullet.

Recent Examples of dispatch from the Web

Wexler’s police training advocacy group wrote guidelines for body camera usage and recommends that officers flip on cameras immediately after being dispatched for a call to service.

— Washington Post, "Minnesota shooting shows police body cameras not used enough," 20 July 2017
Wexler’s police training advocacy group wrote guidelines for body camera usage and recommends that officers flip on cameras immediately after being dispatched for a call to service.

— Washington Post, "Minnesota shooting shows police body cameras not used enough," 20 July 2017
Dispatching party agents to every Kenyan polling station will be hard.

— The Economist, "How to unrig an electionNew methods and technology can make elections fairer," 20 July 2017
Wexler’s police training advocacy group wrote guidelines for body camera usage and recommends that officers flip on cameras immediately after being dispatched for a call to service.

— kyle potter, The Seattle Times, "Minnesota shooting shows underuse of police body cameras," 19 July 2017
Police were dispatched around 2:10 a.m. on Feb. 13 to the 4400 block of West 23rd Place, where Garnett was found unresponsive.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Gary girl, 15, charged as adult in mother's February death," 18 July 2017
At 9:15 p.m., Louisville Metro Police's dive team was dispatched to search for Pool's body in the Ohio.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Coroner identifies 15-year-old Jeffersonville boy drowned in Meade County," 10 July 2017
Google, Centrica Plc, Rolls-Royce Plc and Burberry Group Plc will also be dispatching representatives.

— svenja o'donnell, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. CEOs Head to Brexit Secretary's Lush Country House," 6 July 2017
The company will dispatch representatives to Mrs. Trump’s hometown in Slovenia in pursuit of the Raka red onion — a rare Egyptian-Slovenian crossbreed first developed by the first lady’s grandfather, on the family farm where her mother once worked.

— emily baumgaertner, New York Times, "Fans of White House Garden Hope New Tenants Keep It Green," 2 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dispatch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dispatch

Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, from Occitan despachar to get rid of, from Middle French despechier to set free, from Old French, from des- dis- + -pechier (as in enpechier to ensnare) — more at impeach

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1517

See Words from the same year

dispatch Synonyms

Synonyms

consign, send, pack (off), ship, shoot, transfer, transmit, transport

Antonyms

accept, receive

Related Words

convey, deliver, hand over, pass, render; advance, drop, launch; address, forward; export, import; bestow, contribute, donate, give, present; resend, return

Near Antonyms

acquire, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, obtain, procure, secure

Synonym Discussion of dispatch

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life. kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

- killed in an accident
- frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

- slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

- convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

- terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

- dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

- executed by lethal gas

dispatch

noun dis·patch \ di-ˈspach , ˈdis-ˌpach \

Definition of dispatch

1 a :a message sent with speed; especially :an important official message sent by a diplomatic, military, or naval officer

sent a dispatch to headquarters

b :a news item filed (see ⁴file 2b) by a correspondent

dispatches from the war zone

2 :the act of dispatching: such as

a obsolete :dismissal

b :the act of killing

c (1) :prompt settlement (as of an item of business)

Tom Pinch and his sister having to part, for the dispatch of the morning's business …, had no opportunity of discussing the subject at that time.
—Charles Dickens

(2) :quick riddance

d :a sending off :shipment

the immediate dispatch of supplies to the front

3 :promptness and efficiency in performance or transmission

done with dispatch

See dispatch defined for English-language learners

Examples of dispatch in a Sentence

The general sent a dispatch to headquarters.
He requested the immediate dispatch of supplies.
The reporter sent many dispatches from the war zone.

Recent Examples of dispatch from the Web

The Coosa County Sheriff's Office 911 dispatch received a call about a possible drowning at Double Bridges in the Richville Community.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Coosa County woman drowns at Double Bridges," 19 June 2017
For the drones, the median time from dispatch to arrival was 5 minutes, 21 seconds.

— karen kaplan, The Seattle Times, "After cardiac arrest, flying drone is fastest way to send help," 13 June 2017
According to police dispatch, two people were shot about 9:40 p.m. in the 2100 block of Wheeling Avenue.

— toriano porter, kansascity.com, "Multiple people reportedly shot Tuesday night in Kansas City," 6 June 2017
Carr, a retired U.S. Air Force major, oversees emergency management services for the village as well as the 911 dispatch center.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Tinley Park OKs brewery for historic Vogt Building," 17 May 2017
John Sena said dispatch received a call around 11:30 Wednesday night from a man driving on San Vicente Road who reported seeing smoke behind Ramona High School.

— karen brainard, Ramona Sentinel, "Ramona High School in session despite power outage," 11 May 2017
Average dispatch and turn-out times improved, but the average travel time was 34 seconds slower.

— allison sampite-montecalvo, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chula Vista's growth oversight panel issues annual report card," 9 May 2017
Under Fleischhauer's tenure, Vernon Hills created a consolidated dispatch center in 2012 that now serves the villages of Vernon Hills, Libertyville and Lincolnshire, as well as the Countryside Fire Protection District.

— rick kambic, chicagotribune.com, "Vernon Hills hires Winnetka police chief," 8 May 2017
After the trial, the defense team asked prosecutors for the dispatch.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "Rap beaten yet again: Prosecutors drop charge against notorious Opa-locka cop," 4 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of dispatch

see ¹dispatch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1537

See Words from the same year

dispatch Synonyms

Synonyms

¹letter, epistle, memo, memorandum, missive, note

Related Words

billet-doux, open letter; airmail, card, electronic mail, e-mail, junk mail, mail, postal card, postcard; communication, report; encyclical

Synonym Discussion of dispatch

haste, hurry, speed, expedition, dispatch mean quickness in movement or action. haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

- marry in haste

hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

- in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

- exercises to increase your reading speed

expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.

- the case came to trial with expedition
- paid bills with dispatch

DISPATCH Defined for English Language Learners

dispatch

verb

Definition of dispatch for English Language Learners

: to send (someone or something) quickly to a particular place for a particular purpose
: to defeat (a person or team) in a game, contest, etc.
: to kill (a person or animal) quickly

dispatch

noun

Definition of dispatch for English Language Learners

: an important official message
: the act of sending someone or something to a particular place for a particular purpose
: a news story that a reporter sends to a newspaper usually from a foreign country

DISPATCH Defined for Kids

dispatch

verb dis·patch \ di-ˈspach \

Definition of dispatch for Students

dispatched; dispatching

1 :to send away quickly to a certain place or for a certain reason

The general dispatched a messenger.

2 :to get done quickly

She dispatched one job and moved to the next.

3 :¹kill 1

dispatch a sick animal

—

dispatcher

noun

dispatch

noun

Definition of dispatch for Students

1 :message 1 Send a dispatch to headquarters.

2 :a news story sent in to a newspaper

3 :¹speed 1

You must act with dispatch.

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dispatch

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dispatch

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dispatch

Definition of dispatch for English Language Learners

DISPATCH Defined for Kids

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dispatcher

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