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dispatch

dih-SPACH /dɪˈspætʃ/

verbnounB2GRESATIELTSTOEFL

neutralprofessional

To send off to a destination or for a purpose; the act of sending off.

Implies sending something with speed, efficiency, or official purpose.

The story behind the word. Dispatch has a fascinatingly active history. It likely derives from the Spanish 'despachar' or Italian 'dispacciare', which trace back to the Latin 'pedica' (a shackle). Literally, to dispatch is to 'remove the shackles from the feet' so that someone can run fast to deliver a message.

Word relationships

send: Send is a general term, while dispatch emphasizes speed, efficiency, or official duty.
transmit: Transmit is usually reserved for signals, data, or diseases, whereas dispatch is used for physical items or people.

receive: To take in something that has been sent, whereas dispatch is to send it out.
retain: To keep or hold back, whereas dispatch is to send away.

Commonly confused with

depict: Depict means to represent or show in a picture or story, which is completely unrelated to sending goods.

Word family

dispatcher (noun): A person responsible for sending out vehicles, workers, or emergency services.
dispatched (verb): Sent off to a destination.

Collocations

immediate dispatch
dispatch rider
dispatch center
ready for dispatch

Idioms & expressions

with dispatch

Example sentences

"The emergency center will dispatch an ambulance as soon as they confirm your location." Emergency services
"Our warehouse aims to dispatch all orders within twenty-four hours of purchase." E-commerce shipping

Memory hook

Think of 'dis-patching' as removing the patch or shackle holding a runner back, letting them run to deliver the mail. Dispatch: Send off with speed.

When not to use

Do not use for a casual, slow, or aimless sending of an item.

Fun facts

In journalism, a 'dispatch' is an official report sent by a correspondent from a foreign country, historically sent via telegraph or courier.