dispense with

phrase

1
: to set aside : discard
dispensing with the usual introduction
2
: to do without
could dispense with such a large staff

Examples of dispense with in a Sentence

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.
In approving the petition, the FCC dispensed with concerns over national security and improper influence, noting that the foreign funds — from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi — will not own voting stock. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026 But arguably the Bertolucci film that might have spoken the loudest to that generation, 2003’s The Dreamers — a Jules et Jim-like romantic triangle set against the 1968 Paris student riots — is dispensed with in a brief clip or two, sans commentary. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 There is the common practice, for instance, whereby some minor character is briefly seconded to a protagonist’s service, only to be dispensed with again once the required payload of information has been delivered. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026 By the end of the 1920s, major theater chains were dispensing with the organists and pit orchestras that had accompanied silent films. — David Woodard, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dispense with

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dispense with was in 1576

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Cite this Entry

“Dispense with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispense%20with. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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