dispose of

phrase

1

a(1)

: to get rid of

how to dispose of toxic waste

(2)

: to deal with conclusively

disposed of the matter efficiently

b

: to transfer to the control of another

disposing of personal property to a total stranger

2

: to place, distribute, or arrange especially in an orderly way

disposing of the weapons in the new fort

Examples of dispose of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The issue first surfaced in February when Croatian police and Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, arrested 13 people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste. — Darko Bandic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Clancy is, in these tellings, a victim of spousal abuse akin to torture, whose partner cruelly exploited her postpartum suffering in order to dispose of his family. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Once every piece of the Purina Mill has been hauled off and disposed of, the land will sit empty. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026

But the findings indicate a systemic problem with recording, tracking and disposing of assets. — Kathryn Blackman, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Rhymes for dispose of

• hereinabove
• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove

Legal Definition

dispose of

transitive verb

dis·​pose of

disposed of; disposing of

1

: to transfer to the control or ownership of another

disposed of the property by will

2

: to deal with conclusively : determine finally

received petitions for injunctions…The common theme in disposing of these

—W. J. Brennan, Jr.