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
In a move to expedite recovery from devastating wildfires, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of a cutting-edge AI tool designed to streamline the building permit approval process.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
News of the new probe came hours after a federal judge agreed to expedite Harvard University's lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding that the Ivy League school has warned will threaten vital medical and scientific research.
—Nate Raymond, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
The government’s decision to expedite the launch comes as the country seeks to be more self-reliant in moving exports via air.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Apr. 2025
In his executive order, Trump instructed federal agencies to expedite the process for reviewing and issuing permits for mining on the seafloor in both U.S. and international territory.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
News of the new probe came hours after a federal judge agreed to expedite Harvard University's lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding that the Ivy League school has warned will threaten vital medical and scientific research.
—Nate Raymond, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
The government’s decision to expedite the launch comes as the country seeks to be more self-reliant in moving exports via air.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Apr. 2025
In his executive order, Trump instructed federal agencies to expedite the process for reviewing and issuing permits for mining on the seafloor in both U.S. and international territory.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 25 Apr. 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 10 May. 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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