dispatch

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To send (a shipment) with promptness.
2. (transitive) To send (a person) away hastily.
3. (transitive) To send (an important official message) promptly, by means of a diplomat or military officer.
4. (transitive) To send (a journalist) to a place in order to report.
5. (transitive) To dispose of speedily, as business; to execute quickly; to make a speedy end of; to finish; to perform.
6. (transitive) To rid; to free.
7. (transitive) To destroy (someone or something) quickly and efficiently.
8. (transitive) To defeat
9. (transitive) To pass on for further processing, especially via a dispatch table (often with to).
10. (intransitive, obsolete) To hurry.
11. (obsolete, transitive) To deprive.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A message sent quickly, as a shipment, a prompt settlement of a business, or an important official message sent by a diplomat, government official, military officer, etc.
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of doing something quickly.
3. (countable, uncountable) A mission by an emergency response service, typically involving attending to an emergency in the field.
4. (countable, uncountable) The passing on of a message for further processing, especially through a dispatch table.
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A dismissal.

Synonyms

send

despatch

ship

🚢

shipment

forward

transmit

send off

send out

message

kill

🔪🩸👤

expedition

sending

mail

transmission

settle

delivery

expedite

murder

discharge

remit

bump off

issue

hit

off

slay

speed

conclude

consign

promptness

depute

finnish

emit

conveyance

consignment

complete

remove

report

polish off

commission

finish

missive

liquidate

knock off

lodge

hurry

forwarding

hand in

deposit

cable

killing

Translations

despachar

verzenden

expédier

envío

expédition

enviar

spedizione

spedire

envoyer

envoi

inviare

Versand

abfertigen

expedición

dépêche

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dɪˈspætʃ/

Etymology

From Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, replacing alternate reflex depeach, which is from French dépêcher. Further, several steps omitting, from Latin dis- + impedicō (whence impeach). The first known use in writing (in the past tense, spelled as dispached) is by Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall in 1517. This would be unusually early for a borrowing from a Romance language other than French, but Tunstall had studied in Italy and was Commissioner to Spain, so this word may have been borrowed through diplomatic circles. The alternative spelling despatch was introduced in Samuel Johnson's dictionary, probably by accident.
Compare typologically deliver (for the meaning to bring or transport) (< Latin dē- + līberō).