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Jungjoon Kah
difference between send and dispatch
I would like to know the different between two words, send and dispatch. Would you like to show me with some examples.?
Mar 3, 2020 2:31 PM
Corrections · 1
difference between send and dispatch
I would like to know the <s style="color: rgb(230, 0, 0);">different</s> difference between these two words: send and dispatch. Would you like to show me with some examples<s style="color: rgb(230, 0, 0);">.</s>?
Send - (per Merriam-Webster: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/send" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/send</a>)
Dispatch - (per Merriam-Webster: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispatch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispatch</a>)
Send has many more usages than dispatch. Sometimes send and dispatch are interchangeable. If you want to express either of these meanings: "to cause to go," or "send off with promptness/speed" they are interchangeable.
For example:
I sent 3 police officers.
I dispatched 3 police officers. (More commonly: "Three police officers were dispatched.")
Otherwise, they aren't exactly interchangeable. Some common ways native speakers use "send":
I sent for him. (to request)
The news sent him reeling! (to cause a particular state/emotion)
I "sent" him "packing!" (to dismiss)
In these cases you would not be able to use "dispatch." Other times when they may technically be interchangeable, but one is preferred over the other. Dispatch seems to have a more "formal" tone to it, and is often used in business transactions, or in the news.
For example:
I already sent the invitations!
I already dispatched the invitations! (if it is not a formal or official business, this sounds strange)
I already sent 5 ambulances!
I already dispatched 5 ambulances!
Dispatch has an official tone to it, since it's uses tend to be for expressing "speed."
The dictionary entries provide examples, if my explanation is unclear.
March 3, 2020
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Jungjoon Kah
Language Skills
English, Korean
Learning Language
English
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