Added 9 October 2026
dispense
/dɪˈspɛns/ verb
Latin root: dispēnsāre Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dispense at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Administer or bestow, as in small portions.
administer critical remarks to everyone present
-
Grant a dispensation; grant an exemption.
I was dispensed from this terrible task
- Give or apply (medications).
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)