expediency

noun

ex·​pe·​di·​en·​cy ik-ˈspē-dē-ən(t)-sē How to pronounce expediency (audio)
plural expediencies
1
: the quality or state of being suited to the end in view : suitability, fitness
2
obsolete
b
: an enterprise requiring haste or caution
3
: adherence to expedient means and methods
put more emphasis on expediency than on principleW. H. Jones
4
: a means of achieving a particular end : expedient
expediential adjective

Examples of expediency in a Sentence

the expediency of such a plan is questionable
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Congress delegated its tariff-making powers to the president for expediency reasons. Ryan Young, Twin Cities, 27 Feb. 2025 Biden could have benefitted from the kind of careful, experienced judgment that Johnson will bring to the White House—ensuring that clemency serves justice, not political expediency. David Faris, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 No responsible employer offers employee buyouts when the money may not come through A big reason is expediency. Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025 But these stories do tell us something about the way despair can clarify, producing a purer kind of hope shaped not by expediency but by a sense of what really matters. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expediency

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of expediency was in 1597

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expediency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expediency. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

expediency

noun
ex·​pe·​di·​en·​cy ik-ˈspēd-ē-ən-sē How to pronounce expediency (audio)
plural expediencies
: the use of expedient means and methods
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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