dispense

verbdole out supply
verboperate, administer
verbexempt from responsibility

Synonyms for dispense

verb dole out supply

Antonyms for dispense

apportion

verb. divide into shares

Word Origin & History

early 14c., from Old French dispenser "give out" (13c.), from Latin dispensare "disburse, administer, distribute (by weight)," frequentative of dispendere "pay out," from dis- "out" (see dis-) + pendere "to pay, weigh" (see pendant).

In Medieval Latin, dispendere was used in the ecclesiastical sense of "grant license to do what is forbidden or omit what is required" (a power of popes, bishops, etc.), and thus acquired a sense of "grant remission from punishment or exemption from law," hence "to do away with" (1570s), "do without" (c.1600). Older sense is preserved in dispensary. Related: Dispensed; dispensing.

Example Sentences for dispense

"Unless it should be his gracious pleasure to dispense with obedience," replied Artaphernes.

It was that unless I could dress more in the mode he could dispense with my attendance.

But on the strength of this faith I would not dispense with the fire.

I am honoured with your good opinion, and I can dispense with Mr Haredale's.

They found they could dispense with Mr. Carey's further services.

She had so many secret reserves from Emile now that this one she could dispense with.

But can they, even in that chaste and 166 splendid nudity, dispense with ruffles and flounces?

However, this is just the condition of sailing when a boat can dispense with a rudder.

Perhaps I might get on so well as to be able to dispense with it almost at once.

But if I can discharge its debts it enables me to dispense with the popular code.

dispense

Synonyms for dispense

Antonyms for dispense

apportion

contribute

contributed

contributes

contributing

dispense

Synonyms for dispense

Antonyms for dispense

More words related to dispense

administrate

apportion

contribute

contributed

contributes

contributing