Quick answer
Despender uses up resources. Dispensar releases, exempts, or makes something unnecessary.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
despender
to expend
Use despender for spending money, time, energy, or effort on something.
dispensar
to dismiss, exempt, or do without
Use dispensar for releasing someone, waiving a requirement, or not needing something.
How to choose
- despender: Choose despender if the sentence points to spending money, time, energy, or effort on something.
- dispensar: Choose dispensar if the sentence points to releasing someone, waiving a requirement, or not needing something.
Examples
O projeto despendeu mais recursos do que o previsto.
The project expended more resources than expected.
O regulamento dispensa a apresentação do documento.
The regulation waives presentation of the document.
Common trap
Despender is formal and normally concerns expenditure. Do not confuse its conjugation with forms of dispensar.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with despender, then once with dispensar. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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