Send off or sendoff?
send off is a verb meaning “To send; to dispatch”; sendoff is a noun meaning “A demonstration of affection and well-wishing to someone leaving a place or…”. Use send off as a verb and sendoff as a noun (send off is also a noun: “farewell party”). send off is written as two words and sendoff as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between send off and sendoff?
| send off | sendoff | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | verb, noun | noun |
| Meaning | To send; to dispatch Synonym of send away (“to dispatch orders to a place for something to be delivered”) farewell party | A demonstration of affection and well-wishing to someone leaving a place or group to begin a new undertaking; a farewell A party for an colleague who is leaving; a farewell party |
| Example | Have you sent off your application yet? | We had a sendoff for our departing colleague as he left for a new job |
| Forms | none | sendoffs |
| Pronunciation | /sɛnˈdɒf/ /ˈsɛn.dɒf/ | not recorded |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 7 million words |
Sources: send off and sendoff in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of send off and sendoff
send off
- 1
To send; to dispatch
Have you sent off your application yet?
- 2
farewell party
- 3
A penalty for a serious infraction of the rules in which the player is ordered to leave for the rest of the game; red card
- 4
Synonym of send away (“to dispatch orders to a place for something to be delivered”)
I'm going to send off for one of these fancy new wigs
- 5
funeral or memorial service
- 6
Alternative form of sendoff
- 7
To emit; to emanate
- 8
Alternative form of send-off
sendoff
- 1
A demonstration of affection and well-wishing to someone leaving a place or group to begin a new undertaking; a farewell
- 2
A party for an colleague who is leaving; a farewell party
We had a sendoff for our departing colleague as he left for a new job
- 3
A memorial service or funeral
- 4
Alternative form of send-off (“type of sports penalty”)
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, send off or sendoff?
send off is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; sendoff about once in every 7 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).