expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt 
expedited; expediting
1
: to accelerate the process or progress of : speed up
2
: to execute promptly
Did you know?
Need someone to do something in a hurry? You can tell that person to step on it—or you can tell them expedite it. Figurative feet are involved in both cases, though less obviously in the second choice. Expedite comes from the Latin verb expedire, meaning “to free from entanglement” or “to release (a person) especially from a confined position.” The feet come in at that word’s root: it traces back to Latin ped- or pes, meaning “foot.” Expedient and expedition also stepped into English by way of expedire.
Examples of expedite in a Sentence
During the fire season they wear a semblance of uniform intended to expedite the rush when the siren howls …
—
Tom Harpole, Air & Space, August/September 1993
Overnight he found himself coordinating the train and ship schedules and expediting the loading and unloading of 15,000 officers and men …
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
This final phase was never actually completed because of the need to expedite an airmobile force to Vietnam.
—Shelby L. Stanton, Anatomy of a Division, 1987
After the war its leaders were stigmatized as collaborators and accused of helping to expedite the murderous work of the Nazis.
—Bernard Wasserstein, New York Times Book Review, 24 May 1987
Tom Harpole, Air & Space, August/September 1993
Overnight he found himself coordinating the train and ship schedules and expediting the loading and unloading of 15,000 officers and men …
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
This final phase was never actually completed because of the need to expedite an airmobile force to Vietnam.
—Shelby L. Stanton, Anatomy of a Division, 1987
After the war its leaders were stigmatized as collaborators and accused of helping to expedite the murderous work of the Nazis.
—Bernard Wasserstein, New York Times Book Review, 24 May 1987
Recent Examples on the Web
The bank, earlier this year, expedited Chun's appointment as CEO by more than two months, while also reducing outgoing CEO Bharat Masrani's annual salary by 89% to C$1.5 million.
—Arasu Kannagi Basil and Nivedita Bengaluru, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
There are, of course, streamlining benefits to AI in the newsroom: AI tools can expedite newsgathering and, with human oversight, catch problems in articles.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
Newsom previously waived parts of CEQA to expedite the rebuilding process for homeowners who lost their houses in January’s fires, which claimed 29 lives and may be the costliest natural disaster in state history.
—Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025
The official cause of deaths for both Hackman and Arakawa are still pending the results of the autopsies and toxicology reports, both of which were expedited, Mendoza said.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Arasu Kannagi Basil and Nivedita Bengaluru, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
There are, of course, streamlining benefits to AI in the newsroom: AI tools can expedite newsgathering and, with human oversight, catch problems in articles.
—Liam Reilly, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
Newsom previously waived parts of CEQA to expedite the rebuilding process for homeowners who lost their houses in January’s fires, which claimed 29 lives and may be the costliest natural disaster in state history.
—Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025
The official cause of deaths for both Hackman and Arakawa are still pending the results of the autopsies and toxicology reports, both of which were expedited, Mendoza said.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
Cite this Entry
“Expedite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expedite. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt
expedited; expediting
: to speed up the process or progress of
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