dispatched; dispatching; dispatches
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
George Eliot4
: defeat sense 1
easily dispatching each team they played
archaic
: to make haste : hurry
dis·patch
di-ˈspach 
ˈdi-ˌspach
ˈdi-ˌspach
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
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
Synonyms
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 WebRuben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Ouida Street in Irving on Sunday regarding a disturbance.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024
Gabriel Attal was dispatched to deal with farmers just days after his January appointment as France’s youngest prime minister.
—Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Cleveland dispatched traffic officers across the city to facilitate movement on the roads, flooded with cars both for the eclipse and the Cleveland Guardians' home opener.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of North Rengstorff Avenue just before 6 a.m. for a report of a disturbance involving several people and a gun being fired, the Mountain View Police Department said in a news release.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
The authorities added that seven rescue helicopters were dispatched to the scene.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, workers from different departments, dispatched to aid in repairs, toiled away under the open sky.
—Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Moon dispatched attractive female devotees to charm senators and gather intelligence.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
One officer tells radio dispatch shots were fired and to send an ambulance.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
Cadets will be trained for spy missions and learn to track clues, operatives and suspicious materials via dispatches sent by SpyCamp HQ.
—Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The initial dispatch on the crash indicated there were injuries but Cunningham said no ambulances responded.
—Fox 19 Digital Staff, The Enquirer, 4 Apr. 2024
The swift dispatch of McDaniel was not a matter of silencing a conservative voice, as some would have it.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
The Baltimore City Fire Department’s 911 center dispatch receives a call about a water rescue in the Patapsco River near the Key Bridge.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Redd said her department’s dispatch center received a call for medical help at 1:14 p.m., which was followed by additional calls for police to respond.
—Amy Simonson, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
The hiker used his phone’s SOS feature to reach out to satellites that then routed the call through Douglas County Sheriff’s Office dispatch, which reached out to search and rescue, Arnett told 9News.
—Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
The shooting prompted deputies from other nearby stations to respond to the location, and armored SWAT-style vehicles were dispatched.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Ouida Street in Irving on Sunday regarding a disturbance.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024
Gabriel Attal was dispatched to deal with farmers just days after his January appointment as France’s youngest prime minister.
—Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Cleveland dispatched traffic officers across the city to facilitate movement on the roads, flooded with cars both for the eclipse and the Cleveland Guardians' home opener.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of North Rengstorff Avenue just before 6 a.m. for a report of a disturbance involving several people and a gun being fired, the Mountain View Police Department said in a news release.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
The authorities added that seven rescue helicopters were dispatched to the scene.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, workers from different departments, dispatched to aid in repairs, toiled away under the open sky.
—Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Moon dispatched attractive female devotees to charm senators and gather intelligence.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Three suspects — two from Sacramento and another from Antioch — shoved a woman aside to take her pickup truck and steal her cigarettes before fleeing the scene, according to police and archived radio dispatches.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
One officer tells radio dispatch shots were fired and to send an ambulance.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
Cadets will be trained for spy missions and learn to track clues, operatives and suspicious materials via dispatches sent by SpyCamp HQ.
—Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The initial dispatch on the crash indicated there were injuries but Cunningham said no ambulances responded.
—Fox 19 Digital Staff, The Enquirer, 4 Apr. 2024
The swift dispatch of McDaniel was not a matter of silencing a conservative voice, as some would have it.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
The Baltimore City Fire Department’s 911 center dispatch receives a call about a water rescue in the Patapsco River near the Key Bridge.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Redd said her department’s dispatch center received a call for medical help at 1:14 p.m., which was followed by additional calls for police to respond.
—Amy Simonson, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
The hiker used his phone’s SOS feature to reach out to satellites that then routed the call through Douglas County Sheriff’s Office dispatch, which reached out to search and rescue, Arnett told 9News.
—Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 26 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Dispatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispatch. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dispatch
2 of 2 noun1
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
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