dispatch

1 of 2

verb

dis·​patch di-ˈspach How to pronounce dispatch (audio)
dispatched; dispatching; dispatches

transitive verb

1
: to send off or away with promptness or speed
dispatch a letter
dispatch an ambulance to the scene
especially : to send off on official business
dispatch a messenger
2
a
: to kill with quick efficiency
dispatched the deer with one shot
b
obsolete : deprive
3
: to dispose of (something, such as a task) rapidly or efficiently
anxious to dispatch the matter
… household business could not be dispatched hastily by Mrs. Tulliver.George Eliot
4
: defeat sense 1
easily dispatching each team they played

intransitive verb

archaic : to make haste : hurry
dispatcher noun

dispatch

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a message sent with speed
especially : an important official message sent by a diplomatic, military, or naval officer
sent a dispatch to headquarters
b
: a news item filed (see file entry 4 sense 2b) by a correspondent
dispatches from the war zone
2
: the act of dispatching: such as
a
obsolete : dismissal
b
: the act of killing
c(1)
: prompt settlement (as of an item of business)
Tom Pinch and his sister having to part, for the dispatch of the morning's business …, had no opportunity of discussing the subject at that time.Charles Dickens
(2)
: quick riddance
d
: a sending off : shipment
the immediate dispatch of supplies to the front
3
: promptness and efficiency in performance or transmission
done with dispatch
Choose the Right Synonym for dispatch

Verb

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Noun

haste, hurry, speed, expedition, dispatch mean quickness in movement or action.

haste applies to personal action and implies urgency and precipitancy and often rashness.

marry in haste

hurry often has a strong suggestion of agitated bustle or confusion.

in the hurry of departure she forgot her toothbrush

speed suggests swift efficiency in movement or action.

exercises to increase your reading speed

expedition and dispatch both imply speed and efficiency in handling affairs but expedition stresses ease or efficiency of performance and dispatch stresses promptness in concluding matters.

the case came to trial with expedition
paid bills with dispatch

Examples of dispatch in a Sentence

Verb Rescue workers were immediately dispatched to the area. The hotel dispatched a limo to pick us up from the airport. He dispatched the guard with one bullet. Noun The general sent a dispatch to headquarters. He requested the immediate dispatch of supplies. The reporter sent many dispatches from the war zone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Police bring down armed suspect in bodycam footage Scot Cohen, CEO of WRAP, said the mental health crisis, especially in major cities, is worsening every year, and responding officers are dispatched to tumultuous scenes where anything can happen. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024 Perry was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Feb. 27 after paramedics were dispatched to his home in Sherman Oaks, California. Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 The snowfall was so intense with such punishing winds that even crews dispatched to help those trapped found themselves in a similar predicament. Susannah Cullinane, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 In a sign of European concerns over waning American interest, French President Emanuel Macron suggested this week that some European countries might dispatch troops to Ukraine, a notion that leaders of several NATO countries disavowed, and that Putin said could lead to nuclear war. Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 The Brown Deer Police Department said they were dispatched to Walmart, 6300 W. Brown Deer Road, at about 3:18 p.m. for a fight in progress. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Police were dispatched shortly before 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26 to a reported shooting near the 5100 block of Hickory Road. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Feb. 2024 He was not dispatched to an emergency but rather a property crime — two people vandalizing or stealing from mailboxes. Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Outside, a shuttle bus was dispatched to drive in front of the protesters in a feeble effort to block the noise. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The aid dispatch comes as Cyprus, the European Commission, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom are working to establish a maritime corridor to deliver aid assistance directly to Gaza. Scott McLean, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Advocates and Lacy have called on the sheriff’s department to release the full footage as well as the complete 911 calls and communication between dispatch and the deputies. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 An essay as if a dispatch from a colonial century ago. Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 The suspect then left the bar and tried to fight 20 people who were following him in the parking lot, according to archived radio dispatches reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 Mitchell’s exit from his last job in Lubbock, Texas, was linked by news stations in the area to the apparent collapse of the city’s 911 dispatch system — a familiar problem in Oakland. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 After the break, a dispatch from a reporter who's back in Switzerland after making a documentary about US voters. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 When jersey dispatches trickled in from camps in Florida and Arizona, #DHGate began trending on social media. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2024 Editor’s Note: This is a version of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dispatch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, from Occitan despachar to get rid of, from Middle French despechier to set free, from Old French, from des- dis- + -pechier (as in enpechier to ensnare) — more at impeach

First Known Use

Verb

1517, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dispatch was in 1517

Dictionary Entries Near dispatch

Cite this Entry

“Dispatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispatch. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dispatch

1 of 2 verb
dis·​patch dis-ˈpach How to pronounce dispatch (audio)
1
: to send away quickly to a particular place or for a particular purpose
dispatch a messenger
dispatch a train
2
: to put to death : kill
3
: to get done speedily
dispatcher noun

dispatch

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: message sense 1
especially : an important official message
b
: a news story sent in to a newspaper
2
: the sending of a message or messenger
3
: the act of killing
4
: the shipment of goods
5
: promptness in performing a task
did our homework with dispatch

More from Merriam-Webster on dispatch

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