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View synonyms for dispensation

dispensation

[ dis-puhn-sey-shuhn, -pen- ]

noun

  1. an act or instance of dispensing; distribution.

    Synonyms: bestowal, dissemination, dispersion

  2. something that is distributed or given out.
  3. a certain order, system, or arrangement; administration or management.
  4. Theology.
    1. the divine ordering of the affairs of the world.
    2. an appointment, arrangement, or favor, as by God.
    3. a divinely appointed order or age:

      the old Mosaic, or Jewish, dispensation; the new gospel, or Christian, dispensation.

  5. a dispensing with, doing away with, or doing without something.
  6. Roman Catholic Church.
    1. a relaxation of law in a particular case granted by a competent superior or the superior's delegate in laws that the superior has the power to make and enforce:

      a dispensation regarding the Lenten fast.

    2. an official document authorizing such a relaxation of law.


dispensation

/ ˌdɪspɛnˈseɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of distributing or dispensing
  2. something distributed or dispensed
  3. a system or plan of administering or dispensing
  4. RC Church
    1. permission to dispense with an obligation of church law
    2. the document authorizing such permission
  5. any exemption from a rule or obligation
  6. Christianity
    1. the ordering of life and events by God
    2. a divine decree affecting an individual or group
    3. a religious system or code of prescriptions for life and conduct regarded as of divine origin
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˌdispenˈsational, adjective
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Other Words From

  • dispen·sation·al adjective
  • dis·pen·sa·to·ri·ly [dih-, spen, -s, uh, -tawr-, uh, -lee, -tohr-], adverb
  • nondis·pen·sation noun
  • nondis·pen·sation·al adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of dispensation1

1325–75; Middle English dispensacioun < Medieval Latin dispēnsātiōn- (stem of dispēnsātiō ) a pardon, relaxation, Late Latin: order, system, divine grace, Latin: distribution, equivalent to dispēnsāt ( us ) (past participle of dispēnsāre to dispense; -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion
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Example Sentences

He's been running a shadow government, with GOP officials rushing to get his permission before they take any action and everyone clamoring for his dispensation in their campaigns.

From Salon

“Because it's an election, there's hope, which did not exist under the previous dispensation.”

From BBC

“But somehow when it’s a plant, it’s a different story. I see my job as sort of giving people special dispensation to believe that they don’t have to have it forever.”

Even companies that have relied for decades on fossil fuel dispensation have been moving swiftly into electric vehicle charging, including gas pump installer and maintainer Owl Services.

In the past, religious leaders have issued a dispensation or exemption from certain aspects of Ash Wednesday in order to participate in a cultural celebration.

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dispensarydispensationalism