Meanings
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1
noun
The act of dispensing or dealing out; distribution
A fair dispensation of money.
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2
noun
That which is dispensed, dealt out, or given; that which is bestowed on someone
Bowman certainly lost no time in travelling south to obtain his dispensation once he had published the sermon.
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3
noun
A system of principles, promises, and rules ordained and administered; scheme; economy
The Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Christian dispensations.
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4
noun
The relaxation of a law in a particular case; permission to do something forbidden, or to omit doing something enjoined; exemption.
Special grounds for giving dispensation to see classified documents include research purposes.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Old French despensacion, from Latin dispensātiō. By surface analysis, dispens(e) + -ation.