dispense

verb

dis·pense | \ di-ˈspen(t)s

dispensed; dispensing

Definition of dispense

1a : to divide and share out according to a plan : to deal out in portions dispense food among the needy

b : administer dispense justice

2 : to exempt from a law or release from a vow, oath, or impediment : to give dispensation (see dispensation sense 2a) to : exempt may dispense students from this requirement

3 : to prepare and distribute (medication) dispensing pills to their patients

intransitive verb

archaic : to grant dispensation

dispense with

1 : to set aside : discard dispensing with the usual introduction

2 : to do without could dispense with such a large staff

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about dispense

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Choose the Right Synonym for dispense

distribute, dispense, divide, deal, dole out mean to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group. distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts. distributed food to the needy dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need. dispensed wisdom to the students divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal. three charitable groups divided the proceeds deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece. deal out equipment and supplies dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply. doled out what little food there was

Examples of dispense in a Sentence

The ATM only dispenses $20 bills. a newspaper columnist who dispenses advice to millions of readers each week Pharmacists are certified to dispense medication.

Recent Examples on the Web

Also, some states have enacted laws enabling pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "7 Myths About Emergency Contraception You Should Stop Believing," 8 Apr. 2019 What that means exactly is anybody’s guess—neither the Department of Justice nor the Marshals Service is eager to dispense any detail on the program’s inner workings, which seems reasonable enough. — Popular Mechanics, "How the Witness Protection Program Decides Where To Send People," 8 Feb. 2019 Campus counselors happily refer students to clinics that dispense hormones on the first visit. — Abigail Shrier, WSJ, "When Your Daughter Defies Biology," 6 Jan. 2019 Carvana, a unique online automotive retailer that dispenses its cars through a nine-story vending machine, is open in Tempe on June 20, 2018. — Russ Wiles, azcentral, "Buy a car like a candy bar: Carvana's vehicle 'vending machine' opens in Phoenix area," 21 June 2018 Panicked, the lawsuit says, Traci Hall ran back into the restaurant and learned that an employee had filled her cup from a spigot that dispenses sodium hydroxide, a powerful solvent used to clean commercial cooking equipment. — Jeanne Houck, Cincinnati.com, "Lawsuit: First Watch employee put degreaser in pregnant woman's drink," 14 June 2018 In 2014, for example, Old Navy introduced a vending machine that dispensed flip-flops in response to tweets, Ad Age reported. — refinery29.com, "It's Coming! Mark Your Calendar For Old Navy's $1 Flip Flop Sale," 11 June 2018 Colangelo allegedly had five anonymous accounts that sometimes dispensed private information and made disparaging comments about players and other executives, prompting an internal probe. — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Astros GM Jeff Luhnow never hides from his own tweets," 1 June 2018 The result is a set of controls that dispense with nearly all buttons and provides quick, easy access to everything from climate to audio to navigation. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "These 10 new cars and trucks have the best interiors," 27 May 2018

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