dispense
/dɪˈspɛns/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.11 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To issue, distribute, or give out.
verb
To apply, as laws to particular cases; to administer; to execute; to manage; to direct.
verb
To supply or make up a medicine or prescription.
verb
To give a dispensation to (someone); to excuse.
Example Sentences
- "He is delighted to dispense a share of it to all the company."
- "The smoky spray seemed to trap whatever light there was and to dispense it subtly."
- "to dispense justice"
- "While you dispense the laws, and guide the state."
- "The pharmacist dispensed my tablets."
- "An optician can dispense spectacles."
Etymology
From Middle English, from Old French dispenser, from Latin dispēnsāre (“to weigh out, pay out, distribute, regulate, manage, control, dispense”), frequentative of dispendere (“to weigh out”), from dis- (“apart”) + pendere (“to weigh”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /dɪˈspɛns/
- British English: /dɪˈspɛns/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Law.