dispense

verb

dis·​pense di-ˈspen(t)s 

dispensed; dispensing

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

Phrases

dispense with

1

: to set aside : discard

dispensing with the usual introduction

2

: to do without

could dispense with such a large staff

Synonyms

• administer
• allocate
• apportion
• deal (out)
• distribute
• dole out
• hand out
• mete (out)
• parcel (out)
• portion
• prorate

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

Green roofs might help soak up some rainwater to hydrate the plants up there, but blue-green roofs go a step further with additional infrastructure that gathers up the liquid, stores it, and dispenses it to the building’s residents for watering plants and flushing toilets. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 22 Apr. 2024

The church said it, along with the Bay Area Psychedelic Network, will set up a booth to dispense thousands of bottles of water, and any donations received will go to that non-profit organization. —Mallory Moench, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024

Most insurance companies require a prior authorization for growth hormone, meaning health care providers need to justify their prescription with the insurance company before the company will cover the drug, allowing the pharmacy to dispense it to the patient. —Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 17 Apr. 2024

How proceedings could play out One possibility is that the Senate could move very quickly to dispense with the trial. —Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2024

Most of the hydrogen dispensed in California is gray, meaning it’s produced from natural gas, according to a state report released in December. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

But that aid would still need to be distributed, posing more difficulties in the absence of protection for those dispensing the food and supplies. —Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024

The pair often smoked marijuana together on their beachfront balconies, where John Spahi would dispense unsolicited advice on life and women, Reach said. —James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Since April 2022, South Korea’s government has handed out vouchers worth 2 million won (around $1,500) to parents who produce their first child, with another 3 million won dispensed for every additional child. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin dispensare to exempt, from Latin, to distribute, from dis- + pensare to weigh, frequentative of pendere to weigh, pay out — more at spin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing dispense

• dispense with

Kids Definition

dispense

verb

dis·​pense dis-ˈpen(t)s 

dispensed; dispensing

1

a

: to give out in shares

dispense charity

b

: to give out as deserved

dispense justice

2

: to prepare and give out (medicines)

Medical Definition

dispense

transitive verb

dis·​pense dis-ˈpen(t)s 

dispensed; dispensing

1

: to put up (a prescription or medicine)

2

: to prepare and distribute (medication)