dispatch

American  

[dih-spach] / dɪˈspætʃ /

Or despatch

verb (used with object)

• dispatches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dispatched,
  past participle,  past
• dispatching
  present participle

1. to send off or away with speed, as a messenger, telegram, body of troops, etc.

2. to dismiss (a person), as after an audience.

3. to put to death; kill.

   The spy was promptly dispatched.

4. to transact or dispose of (a matter) promptly or speedily.

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verb (used without object)

• dispatches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dispatched,
  past participle,  past
• dispatching
  present participle

1. Archaic. to hasten; be quick.

noun

• dispatches
  plural

1. the sending off of a messenger, letter, etc., to a destination.

2. the act of putting to death; killing; execution.

3. prompt or speedy transaction, as of business.

4. expeditious performance; promptness or speed.

   Proceed with all possible dispatch.

   Synonyms:

   celerity, alacrity, haste, rapidity

5. Commerce.

   1. a method of effecting a speedy delivery of goods, money, etc.

   2. a conveyance or organization for the expeditious transmission of goods, money, etc.

6. a written message sent with speed.

7. an official communication sent by special messenger.

8. 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

1. mentioned in dispatches, honored by being named in official military reports for special bravery or acts of service.

dispatch British  

/ dɪˈspætʃ /

verb

1. to send off promptly, as to a destination or to perform a task

2. to discharge or complete (a task, duty, etc) promptly

3. informal to eat up quickly

4. to murder or execute

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noun

1. the act of sending off a letter, messenger, etc

2. prompt action or speed (often in the phrase with dispatch )

3. an official communication or report, sent in haste

4. journalism a report sent to a newspaper, etc, by a correspondent

5. murder or execution

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dispatcher
  noun
• predispatch
  noun
• self-dispatch
  noun
• outdispatch
  verb (used with object)
• redispatch
  verb (used with object)
• undispatched
  adjective
• undispatching
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dispatches
  plural

Participles

• dispatching
  present
• dispatched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dispatch
  simple
• dispatches
  simple
• have dispatched
  perfect
• has dispatched
  perfect
• am dispatching
  progressive
• are dispatching
  progressive
• is dispatching
  progressive
• have been dispatching
  perfect progressive
• has been dispatching
  perfect progressive

Past

• dispatched
  simple
• had dispatched
  perfect
• was dispatching
  progressive
• were dispatching
  progressive
• had been dispatching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dispatch
  simple
• will have dispatched
  perfect
• will be dispatching
  progressive
• will have been dispatching
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dispatch dispatches dispatched dispatching

One company even approached me about helping build an AI system to dispatch ambulances, which made me uncomfortable.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

The records — everything from audio recordings of emergency dispatch calls to the emails and text messages of high-ranking police officials — were seemingly no longer being published on NextRequest, the city’s records portal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his top defense officials in the wake of the incident, pledging to “act with full force against the terrorists and those who dispatch them.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

But we can wholeheartedly recommend this dispatch from Slate’s Alexander Sammon, who visited his local Taco Bell to eat chalupas with the brave Americans who aren’t letting the risk of a parasite ruin their appetite.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

You must dispatch the captain, the parrot had said—but maybe I don’t have to.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

The clips were among thousands of reels, memes and first-person dispatches that flooded Instagram once protesters regained internet access.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Beyond dispatches from his red-and-white-checkered tablecloth joint and name-dropping, Dan Tana’s memoir outlines his significant contributions to soccer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Back on the road, Charlotte and Connor barely have time to make themselves available to the dispatches team before another job comes in.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Wolfe had made a name with his full-throated New Journalism dispatches of the 1960s and ’70s, which adopted the techniques of fiction to describe a postwar world that seemed increasingly outlandish.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

He scarcely read the telegraphic dispatches that reported routine operations.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Edwards explains his renewed concern about markets in a note to clients dispatched Thursday.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

In addition to a metal fence and a floating barrier installed earlier this week, Morocco had dispatched army officers, navy speedboats and drones to the border on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a massive federal law enforcement agency, had been dispatched to work leads across the country, including hundreds in Minnesota.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Deputies with the Moreno Valley sheriff’s station were dispatched about 4:10 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

A wicked nanny had been dispatched, thanks to my quick thinking and even quicker work.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

The Navy is reportedly dispatching another carrier, the USS George Washington, to replace the Lincoln.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

Saudi Arabia had diverted its oil exports to its Red Sea ports and out the Bab al Mandeb, dispatching some 4.5 million barrels via that route per day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

After dispatching Djokovic, he will have every confidence that he possesses the weaponry and experience to overcome Zverev, who he has not lost to since 2023.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was dispatching a team to inspect the damage, calling the incident "deeply concerning".

From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026

Finally, Secretary Stinson was contacted and made good on his word by quickly dispatching troops to clear the parade route.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• bulletin
• instruction
• missive