delivery
Americannoun
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deliveries
plural
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the carrying and turning over of letters, goods, etc., to a designated recipient or recipients.
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a giving up or handing over; surrender.
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the utterance or enunciation of words.
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vocal and bodily behavior during the presentation of a speech.
a speaker's fine delivery.
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the act or manner of giving or sending forth.
the pitcher's fine delivery of the ball.
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the state of being delivered of or giving birth to a child; parturition.
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something delivered.
The delivery is late today.
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Commerce. a shipment of goods from the seller to the buyer.
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Law. a formal act performed to make a transfer of property legally effective.
a delivery of deed.
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Also called delivery end. Printing. the part of a printing press where the paper emerges in printed form.
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Archaic. release or rescue; liberation; deliverance.
noun
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the act of delivering or distributing goods, mail, etc
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something that is delivered
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( as modifier )
a delivery service
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the act of giving birth to a child
she had an easy delivery
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manner or style of utterance, esp in public speaking or recitation
the chairman had a clear delivery
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the act of giving or transferring or the state of being given or transferred
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the act of rescuing or state of being rescued; liberation
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sport
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the act or manner of bowling or throwing a ball
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the ball so delivered
a fast delivery
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an actual or symbolic handing over of property, a deed, etc
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the discharge rate of a compressor or pump
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(in South Africa) the supply of basic services to communities deprived under apartheid
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of delivery
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English delyvere, delyvery, from Anglo-French delivrée, noun use of feminine past participle of delivrer “to deliver,” with suffix assimilated to -ery; see deliver
Explanation
When you make a delivery, you bring something somewhere. A delivery can be in the form of something physical, as when you receive a delivery in the mail, or verbal, as in the delivery of a speech or address. Delivery once could only mean "the action of handing something to another," but it has a long history of being applied in other ways. The idea of childbirth as being a delivery came about in the 1570's, while the term was applied to a punch in the 1580's, and to throwing a ball in 1702. A verbal delivery is the manner in which a speech is presented. As a comedian, you know the importance of a good delivery — timing the punchline just right.
Vocabulary lists containing delivery
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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.
See Examples For:
In 2024, state officials worked with the Biden administration to set new rules for operating California’s main water delivery systems, saying they aim to protect imperiled fish and reliably provide water for Californians.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Looking back on it now, he admits his delivery at the time, looking tired and somewhat annoyed by his own decision, wasn’t the greatest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Before cinema made him a familiar face, he spent years working in theatre, where he developed his gritty style of dialogue delivery and also mastered the intensity he brought to his on-screen characters.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Tesla’s second-quarter results show how much a delivery count leaves out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
In October of 1795 Aaron Burr visited Monticello, presumably to discuss the delivery of New York’s electoral votes, probably as a condition for his own place on the ticket as vice president.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Royal Mail has announced plans to cut 2,500 head office and other supporting roles by the end of 2027 as it battles competition and falling demand for letter deliveries.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
With China deliveries down almost a third in the first half of this year, CEO Michael Leiters told reporters he wanted "a smaller but stronger and more resilient business".
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
This means Alunorte hasn’t received contracted gas deliveries and is currently sourcing gas in the market at spot-based prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Arrington’s farm needs about three truckload deliveries a year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Why had he been so friendly to Mrs. Sharpe, walking her to the store before Calder started her deliveries?
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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.
