dis·pen·sa·tion

(dĭs′pən-sā′shən, -pĕn-)

a. The act of dispensing.

b. Something dispensed.

c. A specific arrangement or system by which something is dispensed.

2. An exemption or release from an obligation or rule, granted by or as if by an authority.

a. An exemption from a church law, a vow, or another similar obligation granted in a particular case by an ecclesiastical authority.

b. The document containing this exemption.

4. Theology

a. The divine ordering of worldly affairs.

b. A religious system or code of commands considered to have been divinely revealed or appointed.

[Medieval Latin dispēnsātiō, dispēnsātiōn-, from Latin, distribution, management, from dispēnsātus, past participle of dispēnsāre, to distribute; see dispense.]

dis′pen·sa′tion·al adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dispensation

(ˌdɪspɛnˈseɪʃən)

1. the act of distributing or dispensing

2. something distributed or dispensed

3. a system or plan of administering or dispensing

4. (Roman Catholic Church) chiefly RC Church

a. permission to dispense with an obligation of church law

b. the document authorizing such permission

5. any exemption from a rule or obligation

6. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity

a. the ordering of life and events by God

b. a divine decree affecting an individual or group

c. a religious system or code of prescriptions for life and conduct regarded as of divine origin

ˌdispenˈsational adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dis•pen•sa•tion

(ˌdɪs pənˈseɪ ʃən, -pɛn-)

n.

1. an act or instance of dispensing; distribution.

2. something that is distributed or given out.

3. a certain order, system, or arrangement; administration or management.

a. the divine ordering of the affairs of the world.

b. a divinely appointed order or age.

5. a dispensing with, doing away with, or doing without something.

6. Rom. Cath. Ch.

a. a relaxation of law granted by a competent superior.

b. an official document authorizing this.

[1325–75; Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin]

dis`pen•sa′tion•al, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	dispensation - an exemption from some rule or obligation permission, permit, license - the act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization variance - an official dispensation to act contrary to a rule or regulation (typically a building regulation); "a zoning variance"
	2.	dispensation - a share that has been dispensed or distributed share, percentage, portion, part - assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group; "he wanted his share in cash"
	3.	dispensation - the act of dispensing (giving out in portions) distribution - the act of distributing or spreading or apportioning

dispensation

noun

1. exemption, licence, exception, permission, privilege, relaxation, immunity, relief, indulgence, reprieve, remission The committee were not prepared to grant special dispensation.

2. distribution, supplying, dealing out, appointment, endowment, allotment, consignment, disbursement, apportionment, bestowal, conferment the dispensation of justice

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dispensation

noun

1. The act of distributing or the condition of being distributed:

admeasurement, allocation, assignment, apportionment, distribution, division.

2. The giving of a medication, especially by prescribed dosage:

administration, application.

Translations

autorisation dispense exemption licence permis

esenzione dispensa

dispensation

[ˌdɪspenˈseɪʃən] N

1. (= exemption) → exención f

2. (= distribution) [of drugs] → dispensación f

3. (= implementation) [of justice] → administración f

4. (Rel) → dispensa f
dispensation of Providence → designio m divino

5. (= ruling) → decreto m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

dispensation

[ˌdɪspɛnˈseɪʃ^ən] n

(= special permission) → dispense f
to have dispensation to do sth → obtenir une dispense pour faire qch
to give dispensation to do sth → accorder une dispense pour faire qch
dispensation from military service → dispense du service militaire

(formal) (= issuing, dispensing) [justice] → exercice m; [drugs] → distribution f

(formal) (= system) (religious) → régime m; (political) → régime m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

dispensation

(= handing out) → Verteilung f; (of charity) → Austeilung f; dispensation of justice → Rechtsprechung f

(= exemption) → Dispensation f; (Eccl) → Dispens f; special dispensation → Sonderregelung f

(= system, regime) → System nt; (Rel) → Glaubenssystem nt; dispensation of Providence → Fügung f → der Vorsehung or des Schicksals

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dispensation

[ˌdɪspɛnˈseɪʃ/ən] n (Law, Rel) → dispensa

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

If you, who are the valet, hope for dispensation to commit a crime, shall not I, the friend of your bishop, have dispensation for eating meat at the call of my stomach?

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``For my vow,'' said the Templar, ``our Grand Master hath granted me a dispensation. And for my conscience, a man that has slain three hundred Saracens, need not reckon up every little failing, like a village girl at her first confession upon Good Friday eve.''

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The only means, then, which they can possess, will be in the dispensation of appointments.

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At the age of twenty, by special dispensation of the Holy See, he was a priest, and served as the youngest of the chaplains of Notre-Dame the altar which is called, because of the late mass which is said there, altare pigrorum .

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"Nay," quoth Little John, also grinning, "the blessed Saint Dunstan hath given me a free dispensation for all indulgence in that line." And he thrust his hand into his pouch for money to pay his score.

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'A dispensation,' said Sam, correcting the old gentleman.

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This is a duty from which nothing can give him a dispensation. 'T is one that he is called upon, nay, constrained by all the obligations that form the bands of society, to discharge sincerely and honestly.

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That requires a special dispensation of Providence and peculiar digestive organs.

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Joe expressed his gratitude to Providence for this favourable dispensation, and tried to look as if he didn't wonder where Dolly was.

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But, forasmuch as all favourite legends must be associated with the affections, and as many more people fall in love than commit murder--which it may be hoped, howsoever bad we are, will continue until the end of the world to be the dispensation under which we shall live--the Bleeding Heart, Bleeding Heart, bleeding away story, carried the day by a great majority.

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An the young bride had conveyed notice, as in duty bound, to her feudal lord and proper master and protector the bishop, she had suffered no loss, for the said bishop could have got a dispensation making him, for temporary con- veniency, eligible to the exercise of his said right, and thus would she have kept all she had.

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Both these heroes are lying under the earth, though they are still alive, for by a special dispensation of Jove, they die and come to life again, each one of them every other day throughout all time, and they have the rank of gods.

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