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Glite Dictionary
to dispose of

to dispose of

56 4.1
Deal with and finish a problem or task so it no longer causes trouble
  • phrasal verb
  • /dɪˈspoʊz ʌv/
translation icon : resolver
  • First, the plaintiff must show that the defendant disposed of waste at the site.

Examples

  • In order to solve the issue quickly, we must dispose of all pending matters before the deadline.

  • You thought that household things were also yours to dispose of.

    Francesco (1989)

  • In legal terms, how should the estate be disposed of after an individual has passed away?

    Academic text (1999)

  • And all their focus has been recently focusing on how do we dispose of these electronic devices.

  • Collected waste is waste that is regularly collected and disposed of by the local municipality.

    Academic text (1999)

  • His dissertation is how do you capture space junk and dispose of it safely?

  • But if it hasn't been used after this 12-hour period, it should be disposed of.

    Academic text (2012)

  • I could just shake my head and smile, but in my house, when a turd appears, we deal with it, we dispose of it, we flush it away.

    The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

  • A substantial number of the registered and non-registered businesses disposed of hazardous wastes by other than approved means.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Though these three were meager reflections of his dark dreams, the king was determined to dispose of them before his visions came true.

Synonyms

to remove
vsto dispose of
∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

focuses on solving or settling the matter, not only moving its parts
to get rid of
vsto dispose of
∞ 1.6

To remove or throw away something you do not want

is broader, meaning settle a problem so it no longer worries you
to eliminate
vsto dispose of
  • NSFW
502 3.4

Remove or kill something completely so it is gone

is about handling a matter so it no longer causes concern, not only ending it
to clean up
vsto dispose of
  • Informal
333 2.7

To finish dealing with things and put them in order

is focused on resolving issues broadly, not only tidying or ordering
to throw out
vsto dispose of
202 1.8

To put something in the trash because you do not want it

is about resolving tasks or issues, not merely discarding physical objects
to dismiss
vsto dispose of
  • Formal
192 4.1

To end a legal case so the court does not consider it

is broader, applying to many problems not only formal legal cases
to wipe out
vsto dispose of
189 4.2

Destroy something so nothing is left

is about resolving problems or tasks rather than total physical destruction
to discard
vsto dispose of
130 2.7

To throw something away because you no longer want or need it

is concerned with settling matters fully, not only discarding items
to do away with
vsto dispose of
88 3.7

Remove something so it is no longer used

covers settling or resolving issues rather than only ending things
to purge
vsto dispose of
49 6.3

To remove unwanted substances, things, or people by cleaning

is about handling a problem rather than using extreme removal methods
to toss out
vsto dispose of
39 2.7

To throw away things you do not want

is about dealing with and settling matters thoroughly rather than quick tossing
to defuse
vsto dispose of
29 4.5

Make a tense or dangerous situation calmer

is about settling problems generally, not only calming tense situations
to clear up
vsto dispose of
12 2.6

To finish tasks completely so nothing is left

is about settling matters effectively so they stop causing concern

Antonyms

to prolong
96 3.9

To make something last longer

How Resolved

to resolve
623 3.3
to dispose of
56 4.1
to manage
239 2.3
to put off
113 2.9

Surface Forms

dispose of infinitive
disposed of past
disposed of past participle
disposing of present participle
disposes of third person singular

Morphology

dispose + of

The sense 'to deal with/get rid of' is a straightforward combination of 'dispose' (to remove or discard) with the preposition 'of' marking the object, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. This verb + preposition pattern is a regular, cross-linguistically common composition in English, so a B1 learner who knows the parts should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Dispose of comes from the idea of putting something away or getting rid of it, like clearing a table and taking a plate to the bin. So when you dispose of a problem or a task, you deal with it and make it 'no longer a concern'.