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
Guests are also able to use the exclusive Delta One check-in area at terminal 3 arrivals, which includes concierge check-in service and expedited security—perhaps the most celeb-worthy perk of all.
—Nina Ruggiero, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2025
Weng promised to expedite her green card application under the EB-5 Program, but instead strung her along with lies for eight years federal prosecutors say.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek that this bill aligns with other Trump hardline immigration policies, such as invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations of migrants from countries deemed adversarial.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
The settlement also allows accelerating the widening of Otay Lakes Road near Lake Crest Drive from two to four lanes to expedite evacuations from the project site.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Nina Ruggiero, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2025
Weng promised to expedite her green card application under the EB-5 Program, but instead strung her along with lies for eight years federal prosecutors say.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek that this bill aligns with other Trump hardline immigration policies, such as invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations of migrants from countries deemed adversarial.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
The settlement also allows accelerating the widening of Otay Lakes Road near Lake Crest Drive from two to four lanes to expedite evacuations from the project site.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 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 7 Apr. 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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