Which of the following best defines dispel?

• A. Make (a doubt, fear, belief, feeling, or idea) go away or end, usually by proving them wrong or unnecessary
• B. Drive away or off in various directions; disperse; dissipate
• C. To place something somewhere
• D. To hide from sight

Answer: (A)

Dispelling is about removing an internal doubt, fear, belief, or idea by showing it to be false or unnecessary. The best definition captures that sense: to make a doubt or fear go away usually by proving it wrong or unnecessary. In everyday use you’d say you dispel a rumor, dispel doubts, or dispel fears, often with evidence or reasoning that clears up the misconception.

This differs from the other meanings: to disperse means to scatter physically or spread things out in space; to place something somewhere refers to moving or putting an object in a location; and to hide from sight means to conceal something from view.