dispatch
gb/dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/ us/dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
B2
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
send someone or something for a task
To send a person or thing to a place to do a job, often quickly and in an official way.
Usage pattern:
to dispatch [someone/something] to [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners often think 'dispatch' can be used in all the same places as 'send'. However, 'dispatch' is usually used when the sending is official, organized, or urgent (like ambulances, technicians, troops, or large orders), not for everyday things like 'dispatch me an email' (use 'send me an email'). Some learners are also confused by the British spelling 'despatch', which is much less common in modern English.
Synonyms
send (More general and common; does not always suggest speed or official purpose.)
|
deploy (Often used for military or technical contexts; suggests planned placement rather than simple sending.)
|
ship (Used mainly for sending goods, especially by post, truck, or ship, not usually people.)
Antonyms
recall (Means to call someone or something back instead of sending them out.)
|
keep (Means not to send something away but to retain it where it is.)
Collocations
dispatch an ambulance
|dispatch a technician
|dispatch a team
|dispatch troops
|dispatch goods
|dispatch a reporter
Themes
business
|logistics
|emergency
|core_vocabulary
|work
Examples
- The company dispatched a technician to fix the broken elevator.
- An ambulance was dispatched to the scene of the accident within minutes.
- The warehouse dispatches hundreds of packages every day.
- Several journalists were dispatched across the country to cover the election.
Learner examples
- The manager dispatched two workers to the new store.
- Police dispatched a car to the house after the call.
- The factory dispatches goods to many cities every week.
- A doctor was dispatched to the small village to help sick people.
Verb
C1
action
2
deal with or defeat quickly
To finish a job or defeat a person quickly and with little trouble.
Usage pattern:
to dispatch [a task/problem/opponent]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with simply 'sending' something. In sentences like 'She dispatched the paperwork', the focus is on finishing or dealing with the paperwork quickly, not mailing it. Context often shows the meaning: if the object is a task, duty, or opponent, this sense is more likely.
Synonyms
handle (More general; does not necessarily suggest speed or ease.)
|
take care of (Informal phrasal verb meaning to deal with something, but not as strong about speed or skill.)
|
defeat (Focuses only on winning against an opponent, without the extra idea of ease or speed.)
Antonyms
delay (Means to make something take longer instead of finishing it quickly.)
|
prolong (Means to extend the time something takes, the opposite of dealing with it quickly.)
Collocations
dispatch a task
|dispatch the paperwork
|dispatch an opponent
|dispatch the remaining items
|easily dispatch
|quickly dispatch
Themes
work
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She dispatched the paperwork in under an hour and left the office early.
- Our team dispatched their opponents in a 5–0 victory.
- The committee quickly dispatched the remaining items on the agenda.
- The champion calmly dispatched his younger rival in straight sets.
Learner examples
- She dispatched all her small jobs before lunch.
- Our team dispatched the other team very easily.
- He dispatched the problem in a few minutes and moved on to the next one.
- The manager dispatched the last tasks before the weekend.
Verb
C1
action
3
kill quickly and efficiently
To kill a person or animal quickly and on purpose, often in a clean or efficient way.
Usage pattern:
to dispatch [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Some learners assume this sense is very common in everyday speech. In modern English, people usually say 'kill' in normal conversation. 'Dispatch' in this meaning is more often found in writing, news reports, or storytelling, and can sound formal or literary.
Synonyms
kill (The most common general word; does not suggest speed or efficiency specifically.)
|
slay (Often literary or dramatic; can sound more violent or heroic.)
|
put down (A gentler expression commonly used for killing animals, especially to stop suffering.)
Antonyms
spare (Means to choose not to kill someone or something.)
|
save (Means to keep someone or something alive or safe from being killed.)
Collocations
dispatch an enemy
|dispatch the victim
|dispatch the animal
|dispatch his target
|humanely dispatch
|swiftly dispatch
Themes
violence
|animals
|law
Examples
- The injured horse was humanely dispatched by the vet.
- The assassin dispatched his target with a single shot.
- The lion swiftly dispatched its prey.
- In the story, the hero dispatches the monster in the final battle.
Learner examples
- The soldier dispatched the enemy with one shot.
- The vet dispatched the very sick animal.
- The snake dispatched the mouse quickly.
- In the film, the hero dispatches the bad man at the end.
Noun
C1
entity
4
official report or message sent
A written or spoken report that someone sends from another place, often for news, government, or the army.
Usage pattern:
a dispatch from [place/person]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this noun with the verb and say things like 'I will write a dispatch to my friend' in casual contexts. For normal personal messages, 'letter', 'email', or 'message' is better. 'Dispatch' is usually formal and used in news, government, or military settings.
Synonyms
report (More general and common; does not always suggest being sent from a distance.)
|
telegram (Older term for a brief written message sent long distance; more specific and dated.)
|
cable (Older/formal term for a telegraphed or official message, especially in diplomacy.)
Antonyms
silence (Represents the absence of any message or report being sent.)
Collocations
news dispatch
|foreign dispatch
|military dispatch
|diplomatic dispatch
|latest dispatch
|a dispatch from [place]
Themes
media
|politics
|military
|communication
Examples
- We received a dispatch from our reporter in Gaza late last night.
- In his latest dispatch, the foreign correspondent described the flooding in detail.
- Leaked diplomatic dispatches revealed tense negotiations behind the scenes.
- The general read the dispatch aloud to the troops gathered in the tent.
Learner examples
- The TV station read a dispatch from its reporter in Paris.
- In his dispatch, the writer talked about life in the war zone.
- The newspaper printed a dispatch from Africa on the front page.
- Secret dispatches showed what the leaders really said in the meetings.
Noun
C1
action
5
act of sending people or things
The act of sending people or things to a place to do a job.
Usage pattern:
the dispatch of [people/things]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat 'dispatch' here as a verb and say 'the company dispatch all orders'. For the noun sense, it should be 'the dispatch of all orders' or 'orders are dispatched'.
Synonyms
shipment (Usually refers specifically to goods being sent, especially in business or transport.)
|
deployment (Often used for sending people, especially soldiers or staff, to a place to work.)
Antonyms
retention (Means keeping people or things instead of sending them out.)
Collocations
dispatch of goods
|dispatch of troops
|ready for dispatch
|awaiting dispatch
|rapid dispatch
|order dispatch
Themes
business
|logistics
|core_vocabulary
|work
Examples
- The dispatch of extra nurses helped relieve the pressure on the hospital.
- The goods are ready for dispatch tomorrow morning.
- Rapid dispatch of supplies is critical after a natural disaster.
Learner examples
- The dispatch of food was slow after the storm.
- The office plans the dispatch of all orders every day.
- The dispatch of soldiers took three days.
- Our company promises dispatch of all items within 24 hours.
Noun
formal
C2
property
6
speed and efficiency in doing something
The quality of doing something fast and in an efficient way.
Usage pattern:
with dispatch
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that this sense is formal and mostly used in the fixed phrase 'with dispatch'. Using it in casual speech can sound strange or old-fashioned.
Synonyms
promptness (Focuses on being quick; does not always include the idea of efficiency.)
|
efficiency (Focuses on doing something well with little waste; not always about speed.)
Antonyms
slowness (The opposite quality: doing things slowly instead of quickly.)
|
delay (Refers to making something take longer, the opposite of quick completion.)
Collocations
with dispatch
|handle with dispatch
|act with dispatch
|proceed with dispatch
Themes
work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The matter was handled with dispatch.
- She completed the assignment with impressive dispatch.
- In an emergency, decisions must be made with dispatch.
Learner examples
- The team finished the work with dispatch.
- He answered the request with dispatch.
- The company wants staff to act with dispatch.
- The problem was solved with speed and dispatch.
Verb
technical
C1
action
7
route a request or event for processing
In computer or technical systems, to send an event or request to the right part of the system so it can be handled.
Usage pattern:
to dispatch [a request/event/message] to [a handler/service]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this technical sense is the same as just sending data across the internet. In computing, 'dispatch' usually means sending something to the correct internal handler or component, not just sending it anywhere.
Synonyms
route (Common technical term for sending data or traffic to a destination within a system.)
|
forward (Often used for passing messages or requests on to another part or service.)
Antonyms
block (In technical contexts, means to stop a request or event from reaching its handler.)
Collocations
dispatch an event
|dispatch a request
|dispatch a message
|dispatch a job
|dispatch to a handler
|event dispatch
Themes
technology
|computing
Examples
- The server dispatches incoming requests to different worker processes.
- This function dispatches events based on their type.
- The router dispatches messages to the correct queue for processing.
Learner examples
- The program dispatches each request to a worker.
- This part of the system dispatches events to the right place.
- The server dispatches messages to another service.
- Our code dispatches jobs to different machines.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dispatch
IPA
GB/dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
US/dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
Syllables & stress
dis - patch (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (patch)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dispatch
- Plural: dispatch, dispatches
Verb
- Base: dispatch
- 3rd Person Singular: dispatches
- Present Participle: dispatching
- Past: dispatched
Word family
Forms
dispatches
noun
dispatching
verb
dispatched
verb
Core family
dispatcher
noun
Related words
despatch
verb
Expressions
dispatch center
1/dɪspˈæt͡ʃ sˈɛntɚ/
fixed phrase
office that sends vehicles or workers
A room or office where people send cars, trucks, or workers to the places where they are needed.
Examples
- All taxis are sent out from the main dispatch center.
- Calls are routed through the dispatch center before a truck is sent.
emergency dispatch
1/ɪmˈɚd͡ʒənsi dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
technical
system that sends emergency services
The office or system that sends police, fire, or medical teams to people who need help.
Examples
- She works in emergency dispatch taking 911 calls.
- The city upgraded its emergency dispatch system last year.
military dispatch
1/mˈɪlɪtˌɛɹi dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
official military message
An official message that people in the army send from one place to another.
Examples
- According to the latest military dispatch, the troops will arrive tomorrow.
- Old military dispatches from the front were displayed in the museum.
news dispatch
1/njˈuz dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
news report sent from elsewhere
A news report that a reporter sends from another place, often another country.
Examples
- The network aired a news dispatch from its correspondent in Kyiv.
- Her news dispatch from the refugee camp won several awards.
with dispatch
1/wˈɪθ dɪspˈæt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
formal
quickly and efficiently
To do something fast and in an efficient way.
Examples
- The emergency team responded with dispatch.
- Please handle any customer complaints with dispatch.