dispense

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈspens/ UK /dɪˈspɛns/ See IPA manual

Freq #19282

Meanings

1

verb
To give out or distribute something to people.

The machine dispenses hot drinks at the press of a button.
2

verb
To prepare and give out medicine.

The pharmacist dispensed my tablets within minutes.
3

verb
To manage or carry out something, such as justice.

The court exists to dispense justice fairly to everyone.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to give out or distribute... distribute

2 verb · to prepare and give out... administer

Word family

Forms dispenseddispensesdispensing

Derived forms dispensabilitydispensable dispensary dispensationdispensativedispensatorydispensementdispenserdispensomemisdispensenanodispensepredispensed

Related forms dispend

Common collocations

dispense with Verb + preposition/particle

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”).

dispenser Old French dispenso Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# dispense

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈspens/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈspɛns/
**Frequency rank:** 19282

## Meanings
1. To give out or distribute something to people.
2. To prepare and give out medicine.
3. To manage or carry out something, such as justice.

## Examples
- The machine dispenses hot drinks at the press of a button.
- The pharmacist dispensed my tablets within minutes.
- The court exists to dispense justice fairly to everyone.

## Derived Forms
- dispensability
- dispensable
- dispensary
- dispensation
- dispensative
- dispensatory
- dispensement
- dispenser
- dispensome
- misdispense
- nanodispense
- predispensed

## Related Forms
- dispend

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dispenser
- Root: dispenso

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Dispense is 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean to give out or distribute something to people, or to prepare and give out medicine. Related forms include dispend. Derived formations include dispensability, dispensable, dispensary, dispensation, dispensative.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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dispense

Meanings

Thesaurus

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