delivery

American  

[dih-liv-uh-ree] / dɪˈlɪv ə ri /

noun

deliveries plural

1. the carrying and turning over of letters, goods, etc., to a designated recipient or recipients.

2. a giving up or handing over; surrender.

3. the utterance or enunciation of words.

4. vocal and bodily behavior during the presentation of a speech.

   a speaker's fine delivery.

5. the act or manner of giving or sending forth.

   the pitcher's fine delivery of the ball.

6. the state of being delivered of or giving birth to a child; parturition.

7. something delivered.

   The delivery is late today.

8. Commerce. a shipment of goods from the seller to the buyer.

9. Law. a formal act performed to make a transfer of property legally effective.

   a delivery of deed.

10. Also called delivery end.  Printing. the part of a printing press where the paper emerges in printed form.

11. Archaic. release or rescue; liberation; deliverance.

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delivery British  

/ dɪˈlɪvərɪ /

noun

1. 1. the act of delivering or distributing goods, mail, etc

   2. something that is delivered

   3. ( as modifier )

      a delivery service

2. the act of giving birth to a child

   she had an easy delivery

3. manner or style of utterance, esp in public speaking or recitation

   the chairman had a clear delivery

4. the act of giving or transferring or the state of being given or transferred

5. the act of rescuing or state of being rescued; liberation

6. sport

   1. the act or manner of bowling or throwing a ball

   2. the ball so delivered

      a fast delivery

7. an actual or symbolic handing over of property, a deed, etc

8. the discharge rate of a compressor or pump

9. (in South Africa) the supply of basic services to communities deprived under apartheid

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misdelivery
  noun
• nondelivery
  noun
• predelivery
  noun
• redelivery
  noun
• postdelivery
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deliveries
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

delivery deliveries

Starting next week, the pair plan to sell pizzas for delivery through UberEats from the truck parked outside Ramirez’s California Food Trucks business.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

South Korea doesn't limit overnight working hours, unlike in the UK, where night-time delivery drivers cannot work more than 10 out of 24 hours.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Volkswagen fell after cutting its full-year sales and delivery forecasts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

"Parties to the conflict should urgently work to facilitate safe passage for stranded seafarers to safely evacuate and disembark, as well as ensure the delivery of critical supplies," Mantoo added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

I get giddy couples asking for champagne delivery, and apologetic businessmen telephoning home to announce their delayed arrivals, and tired mothers searching for all-night chemists to provide cough syrup for sick children.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The extra distance raises freight and insurance costs, ties up ships and can delay deliveries by weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Jang died in 2020 but six years on, Park is still fighting to end what she believes is the reason for his death: night-time deliveries.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

The automaker expects deliveries to fall and for sales this year to be flat or decline 3%, after having previously guided for flat to 3% growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Volkswagen's vehicle deliveries in the country were last year already at their lowest level since 2011 and they fell a further 31.6 percent in the first six months of the year, the firm said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

JimmyTrotter tucked the bills in his wallet after making his deliveries.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• consignment
• distribution
• shipment
• transmission