What does "dole" mean?
Money or other goods given as charity.
Dole
/dəʊl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Money or other goods given as charity.
- Grammar: dole is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: accord, ace, adjunct, administer.
- Useful contrasts: deprivation, earnings, employment.
- Usage evidence: It should be noted that Dole did not intend to change the configuration of the communication protocol.
How to use "dole"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dole" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dole" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dole" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dole" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dole" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accord" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dole", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Money or other goods given as charity.
"So sure the dole, so ready at their call, / They stood prepar'd to see the manna fall."
- 2 A sorrow or grief; dolour. archaic, uncountable
"Syr said sir gyngalyn I wote not what knyȝt he was / but wel I wote that he sygheth and maketh grete dole. "Sir, said Sir Gingalin, I wot not what knight he was, but well I wot that he sigheth, and maketh great dole.""
- 3 Alternative form of dhole (“Asian wild dog”). alt-of, alternative
- 4 money received from the state wordnet
- 5 Distribution; dealing; apportionment.
"c. 1650s, John Cleveland, Upon Phillis Walking in a Morning before Sun-rising At her general dole, / Each receives his ancient soul."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Dolus. Scotland, uncountable
- 7 a share of money or food or clothing that has been charitably given wordnet
- 8 Payment by the state to the unemployed; unemployment benefits. informal
"I get my dole paid twice a week."
- 9 A boundary; a landmark.
"Curſed be he which tranſlateth the bounds and dolles of his Neighbor."
- 10 A void space left in tillage. British, dialectal
Verb
- 1 To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 Acronym of Department of Labor and Employment. Philippines, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 Dole Constituency, a parliamentary constituency in Zanzibar. countable, uncountable
- 4 A commune in Jura department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. countable, uncountable
Antonyms
Example
"It should be noted that Dole did not intend to change the configuration of the communication protocol."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dole"?
Common synonyms include: accord, ace, adjunct, administer, administration, adversity.
How do you use "dole" in a sentence?
It should be noted that Dole did not intend to change the configuration of the communication protocol.
How do you pronounce "dole"?
Pronounced /dəʊl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dol, from Old English dāl (“portion, share, division, allotment”), from Proto-Germanic *dailą (“part, deal”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰayl- (“part, watershed”). Cognate with Old Church Slavonic дѣлити (děliti, “divide”). More at deal.
Etymology 2
From Middle English dole (“grief”), from Old French doel (compare French deuil), from Late Latin dolus, from Latin doleo.
Etymology 3
* As an English surname, from the archaic noun dole (“portion, share”). * As a French surname, from Old French dolé, past participle of doler (“to regret”), from Latin doleo (“to hurt”). * Also as a French surname, Americanized from Daul.