dispensary

noun

dis·​pen·​sa·​ry di-ˈspen(t)s-(ə-)rē 

plural dispensaries

: a place where medicine or medical or dental treatment is dispensed

Examples of dispensary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Senate on Tuesday discussed the closure of hospital dispensaries in some counties. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Agents also searched a nearby cannabis dispensary located next door to the senator’s office. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026

The festival's website also hosts an extensive Rockaway guide with recommendations ranging from where to get your morning coffee to the best cannabis dispensary in town. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026

By 2023, his company, based in Henderson, Colorado, was manufacturing 81% of the pills sold in dispensaries in the state, according to the cannabis analytics firm BDSA. — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

dispense + -ary entry 1, probably after New Latin dispensārium "book containing directions for formulating medicines"

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dispensary

• suspensory
• extrasensory
• multisensory
• sensory
• somatosensory

Kids Definition

dispensary

noun

dis·​pen·​sa·​ry dis-ˈpen(t)s-(ə-)rē 

plural dispensaries

: a place where medical or dental aid is given

Medical Definition

dispensary

noun

dis·​pen·​sa·​ry dis-ˈpen(t)s-(ə-)rē 

plural dispensaries

: a place where medicine or medical or dental treatment is dispensed