dispatch
noun
Dispatch — the act of sending something promptly on its way
Definition
The act of sending off something
In depth
Dispatch is the act of sending something off, typically with implied speed, efficiency, and purpose, whether a letter, a shipment, a messenger, or troops to a particular destination. The word also names, distinctly, the official message or report being sent, and carries a secondary, more severe sense of killing something quickly and decisively.
Origin
The word descends from Italian dispacciare, to hasten or expedite, formed from dis- (away) and an element related to speed or urgency. Its long association with journalism, where a 'dispatch' names a report sent quickly from a distant location, reflects how thoroughly the word's core sense of urgent sending shaped an entire genre of news writing.
Usage examples
"The dispatch of emergency supplies began within hours of the disaster's first reports."
"She read the brief dispatch from the front lines with growing dread."
"The general ordered the dispatch of reinforcements before the enemy could regroup."
How to use it
Dispatch is versatile across journalism, military, and logistics writing, and writers should be aware of its multiple senses, the act of sending, the message sent, and the more severe sense of swift killing, relying on context to clarify which is intended.
Related concepts
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