French Conversation · Level 150
30 words
French word
dispenser
Pronunciation
IPA/dispɑ̃se/
Meaning
- verbdistribute
Example
Le pharmacien dispense les médicaments.
The pharmacist distributes the medications.
More examples
À la foire, l'entreprise dispense des échantillons gratuits.
At the fair, the company distributes free samples.
Core concept
A measured supply moves from an organized source to the person meant to receive it.
Common phrases
dispenser des échantillons
distribute samples
dispenser des soins
provide care
dispenser une formation
provide training
Similar words
donner: Directly give someone an item or help.
fournir: Make needed goods or services available to the recipient.
délivrer: Hand over medicine or documents as required by a prescription or procedure.
Definition in French
Donner ou mettre à disposition pour quelqu'un des objets, des médicaments ou des services, souvent d'une façon organisée.
Word origin
French dispenser comes from Latin dispensare, meaning to distribute or administer, from dispendere, meaning to weigh out; its modern uses retain this organized allocation.
Usage tips
- Dispenser quelque chose à quelqu'un takes the item as a direct object and the recipient with à; dispenser de means to exempt someone from an obligation.
Other meanings
- exemptverb
- provideverb
Opposites
- retenirwithholdverb
Related words
- dispensaireclinicnoun
- dispensationexemptionnoun