expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt 
expedited; expediting
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
That may have expedited the government’s next move.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
While the approval process typically takes 10 to 12 months, a new federal pilot program has allowed the FDA to expedite the process to one to two months.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Last year, an appellate court overturned the president’s invocation of wartime authorities to expedite the deportation of Venezuelans on the sensible grounds that Venezuela was not, in fact, invading the United States.
—Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
For example, Orange County has expedited its affordable housing permitting process, and its Affordable Housing Trust Fund has helped fund nearly 2,400 housing units between 2000 and 2025.
—Ryan Von Weller, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
While the approval process typically takes 10 to 12 months, a new federal pilot program has allowed the FDA to expedite the process to one to two months.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Last year, an appellate court overturned the president’s invocation of wartime authorities to expedite the deportation of Venezuelans on the sensible grounds that Venezuela was not, in fact, invading the United States.
—Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
For example, Orange County has expedited its affordable housing permitting process, and its Affordable Housing Trust Fund has helped fund nearly 2,400 housing units between 2000 and 2025.
—Ryan Von Weller, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expedite
Cite this Entry
“Expedite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expedite. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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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