delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈli-v(ə-)rē 

dē-

plural deliveries

: the act or manner of delivering something

also : something delivered

Synonyms

• discharge
• quietus
• quittance
• release

Examples of delivery in a Sentence

The delivery is scheduled for this morning.

The company offers free delivery with orders over $100.

Someone has to be home to accept delivery of the package.

Allow six weeks for delivery.

The baby weighed almost seven pounds at the time of delivery.

The doctor expects it to be a routine delivery.

The doctor has had three deliveries today.

The joke was funny, but his delivery was terrible.

I need to work on my delivery before I give the speech.

Recent Examples on the Web

Officer Tolson agrees to moonlight as a pizza delivery person to complete the order. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025

But one policy change under consideration by the Trump administration comes close to being one: eliminating Medicare’s disparity in payments for identical health-care services based solely on the location of their delivery. —Ali Melad, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025

According to a new study from the TV ad tracker EDO, investment in women’s sports skyrocketed in 2024, as a record upswing in college and pro basketball deliveries sent marketers scrambling to engage with these rapidly growing audiences. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Mar. 2025

Every different type of building and use case adds to the complexity of making sure a wide variety of users—including owners, residents, visitors and delivery personnel—can enter and leave these spaces easily and safely. —Ram Nikhil Dodda, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing delivery

• breech delivery
• curbside pickup/delivery
• delivery boy
• delivery room
• general delivery
• on delivery
• pre-delivery
• recorded delivery
• rural free delivery
• special delivery
• take delivery of

Rhymes for delivery

• herbivory
• livery
• nondelivery
• redelivery

Kids Definition

delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈliv-(ə-)rē 

plural deliveries

1

: a delivering from something that restricts or burdens

2

a

: the act of handing over

b

: a legal transfer of right or title

c

: something delivered at one time or in one unit

3

: the action of giving birth

4

: a delivering especially of a speech

5

: manner or style of delivering

Medical Definition

delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery di-ˈliv-(ə-)rē 

plural deliveries

1

: the act of giving birth : the expulsion or extraction of a fetus and its membranes : parturition

2

: the procedure of assisting birth of the fetus and expulsion of the placenta by manual, instrumental, or surgical means

Legal Definition

delivery

noun

de·​liv·​ery

plural deliveries

: an act that shows a transferor's intent to make a transfer of property (as a gift)

especially : the transfer of possession or exclusive control of property to another

— actual delivery

: a delivery (as by hand or shipment) of actual physical property (as jewelry or stock certificates)

— conditional delivery

: a delivery after which ownership will be transferred upon fulfillment of a condition compare gift causa mortis at gift

Note: A conditional delivery is usually made in order to make a transfer revocable.

— constructive delivery

: a delivery of a representation of property (as a written instrument) or means of possession (as a key) that is construed by a court as sufficient to show the transferor's intent or to put the property under the transferee's control

called also symbolic delivery