dispatch
Americanverb (used with object)
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to send off or away with speed, as a messenger, telegram, body of troops, etc.
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to dismiss (a person), as after an audience.
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to put to death; kill.
The spy was promptly dispatched.
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to transact or dispose of (a matter) promptly or speedily.
verb (used without object)
noun
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the sending off of a messenger, letter, etc., to a destination.
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the act of putting to death; killing; execution.
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prompt or speedy transaction, as of business.
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expeditious performance; promptness or speed.
Proceed with all possible dispatch.
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Commerce.
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a method of effecting a speedy delivery of goods, money, etc.
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a conveyance or organization for the expeditious transmission of goods, money, etc.
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a written message sent with speed.
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an official communication sent by special messenger.
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Journalism. a news story transmitted to a newspaper, wire service, or the like, by one of its reporters, or by a wire service to a newspaper or other news agency.
idioms
verb
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to send off promptly, as to a destination or to perform a task
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to discharge or complete (a task, duty, etc) promptly
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informal to eat up quickly
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to murder or execute
noun
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the act of sending off a letter, messenger, etc
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prompt action or speed (often in the phrase with dispatch )
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an official communication or report, sent in haste
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journalism a report sent to a newspaper, etc, by a correspondent
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murder or execution
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dispatch
1510–20; < Italian dispacciare to hasten, speed, or < Spanish despachar both ultimately < Old French despeechier to unshackle, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + -peechier < Late Latin -pedicāre to shackle; see impeach
Explanation
Anything that needs to be mailed, sent off, or quickly shipped needs to be dispatched. Letters, official reports, teams of police — if it has somewhere to be, you can dispatch it to get there. Sometimes spelled despatch, this word was first used in the early 1500s as a verb meaning “to send off in a hurry.” These days we get hurried dispatches in noun and verb form, from journalists sending in their war zone stories to emergency squads getting dispatched to the scene of an accident. And in its most sinister sense, dispatch means to kill off without delay.
Vocabulary lists containing dispatch
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Ender's Game
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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From Barron's • May 14, 2026
He called the dispatch center again to explain the direness of the situation.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
Undefeated so far this postseason, Oklahoma City soon will dispatch the shorthanded Lakers and then go marching on toward a defense of last year’s NBA championship.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Take a moment to dispatch the easy wins: anything that belongs in the fridge, freezer or pantry goes back to its place, focusing especially on perishables that need to get back to their homes.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
I arrived at the café, the only café in Souilly, still smelling of smoke from the fire in the dispatch room.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
