Meaning & use
dispensing
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“dispensing” is a form of “dispense”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The act or job of giving out something, especially medicine prepared by a pharmacist, or portions from a machine.
Grammar: Used without an or plural: dispensing is done at the back counter.
Patterns
- dispensing of something
Dispensing at the pharmacy slows down when two staff are away.
She trained for two years in hospital dispensing.
Automatic dispensing of soap keeps the washroom cleaner.
adjectivebefore a noun
Used for giving out medicine or measured amounts of something.
Grammar: Comes before the noun: a dispensing chemist.
Patterns
- a dispensing X
The dispensing pharmacist checked the label twice.
A dispensing machine in the lobby sells hot drinks.
The clinic has its own dispensing room.
verbtransitive or intransitive
The -ing form of dispense: giving out or supplying something to people.
Grammar: As a verb form it follows be: she is dispensing advice.
Patterns
- dispensing something to someone
He was dispensing free samples at the market stall.
The judge is known for dispensing justice quickly.
The machine kept dispensing coins after the jam was fixed.
Word forms
| base form | dispense |
|---|---|
| third person singular | dispenses |
| past tense | dispensed |
Common combinations
- dispensing chemist
- The dispensing chemist explained how often to take the tablets.
- dispensing pharmacy
- Our dispensing pharmacy opens at eight.
- dispensing doctor
- In the village the dispensing doctor also supplies the medicine.
- dispensing machine
- The dispensing machine only accepts coins.
- dispensing with formalities
- Dispensing with formalities, they started the meeting at once.
- dispensing advice
- He enjoys dispensing advice to younger colleagues.
Synonyms and how they differ
- distributing
- Distributing stresses sharing items out among many people, while dispensing often means giving a measured amount from a source.
- handing out
- Handing out is more casual and suits flyers or sweets; dispensing sounds more official or mechanical.
- administering
- Administering is used for giving a treatment to a patient, whereas dispensing covers preparing and supplying the medicine.
- providing
- Providing is general and can mean any supply, while dispensing suggests a controlled portion.
Word family
- dispenser noun
- A machine or container that releases measured amounts.
- dispensary noun
- A place where medicines are prepared and given out.
- dispensable adjective
- Not essential; able to be done without.
- indispensable adjective
- So important that you cannot do without it.
- dispensation noun
- Special permission to break a rule.
Commonly confused: dispensing or dispersing?
dispensing vs dispersing
Dispersing means scattering or spreading apart, as a crowd does; dispensing means giving out.
Practice
Which sentence uses dispensing correctly?
Choose one answer.
Dispensing means giving out something such as medicine. The crowd and fog scatter, which is dispersing, a tempting similar-looking word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dispensing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.