English Reference
Noun

dispensation

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˌdɪspənˈseɪʃən/ UK /dɪspɪnsˈeɪʃən/ dis·pen·sa·tion UK spelling dispensations

n.a special permission to do something that is usually not allowed. It is like a rule that is temporarily changed for a specific person or situation.

n.a special permission or exemption from a rule, law, or requirement. Often used in formal or religious contexts to describe a temporary change in standard practice.


SIMPLE

The manager gave me a dispensation to leave early.

CONTEXTUAL

The university granted a dispensation for the student to take the exam at a different time due to a family emergency.

COMPLEX

In many religious traditions, a dispensation allows a priest to perform a marriage ceremony for two people who would otherwise be considered related by blood.

Government decrees to grant dispensations to manufacturers of Abondance, Beaufort and Comté cheeses - which come from mountains in eastern France - appeared on Wednesday.

BBC News· 27 Aug 2026

From Old French despensacion, from Latin dispensātiō. By surface analysis, dispens(e) + -ation.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated