dispense
verb
dis·pense
di-ˈspen(t)s 
dispensed; dispensing
1
a
: to divide and share out according to a plan : to deal out in portions
dispense food among the needy
b
: administer
dispense justice
2
: to exempt from a law or release from a vow, oath, or impediment : to give dispensation (see dispensation sense 2a) to : exempt
may dispense students from this requirement
3
: to prepare and distribute (medication)
dispensing pills to their patients
archaic
: to grant dispensation
Examples of dispense in a Sentence
The ATM only dispenses $20 bills.
a newspaper columnist who dispenses advice to millions of readers each week
Pharmacists are certified to dispense medication.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the idea of parachuting into a writers’ room, dispensing high-level feedback, then moving on to the next?
—
Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
That’s because the FDA had recently relaxed its rules about how the pills could be prescribed and dispensed, allowing women to receive them by mail after a telehealth visit with a provider.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
In-use food dispensing utensils not properly stored (falafel scooper stored in container of water on counter).
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
But suburban newspapers, which dispense local business and social news by and large, offer far less hope for a revitalized press than metropolitan dailies.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispense
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Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
That’s because the FDA had recently relaxed its rules about how the pills could be prescribed and dispensed, allowing women to receive them by mail after a telehealth visit with a provider.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
In-use food dispensing utensils not properly stored (falafel scooper stored in container of water on counter).
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
But suburban newspapers, which dispense local business and social news by and large, offer far less hope for a revitalized press than metropolitan dailies.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispense
Cite this Entry
“Dispense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispense. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dispense
verb
dis·pense
dis-ˈpen(t)s
dispensed; dispensing
1
a
: to give out in shares
dispense charity
b
: to give out as deserved
dispense justice
2
: to prepare and give out (medicines)
Medical Definition
dispense
transitive verb
dis·pense
dis-ˈpen(t)s
dispensed; dispensing
1
: to put up (a prescription or medicine)
2
: to prepare and distribute (medication)
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