expedient

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​pe·​di·​ent ik-ˈspē-dē-ənt How to pronounce expedient (audio)
1
: suitable for achieving a particular end in a given circumstance
2
: characterized by concern with what is opportune
especially : governed by self-interest
expediently adverb

expedient

2 of 2

noun

: something done or used to achieve a particular end usually quickly or temporarily : an expedient action or solution
Choose the Right Synonym for expedient

Adjective

expedient, politic, advisable mean dictated by practical or prudent motives.

expedient usually implies what is immediately advantageous without regard for ethics or consistent principles.

a politically expedient decision

politic stresses judiciousness and tactical value but usually implies some lack of candor or sincerity.

a politic show of interest

advisable applies to what is practical, prudent, or advantageous but lacks the derogatory implication of expedient and politic.

sometimes it's advisable to say nothing

Noun

resource, resort, expedient, shift, makeshift, stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply.

resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

exhausted all of their resources
a last resort

expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap

Examples of expedient in a Sentence

Adjective Marley found it expedient to maintain social relationships with gunmen and politicans from both political parties. Robert Palmer, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 1994
The marble floor … gave the hall the aspect of a cathedral, and the walls were decorated with aphorisms such as Cicero's THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE HIGHEST LAW, a phrase he found curiously—or at least potentially—expedient in what was certainly designed as a temple to the idea of law. Tom Clancy, Patriot Games, 1987
Under political pressure and at the urging of Jefferson, Madison finally (but grudgingly) admitted that a bill of rights might help, over time, to instill in the people a greater respect for "the fundamental maxims of free government." But even as he was shepherding the first amendments through Congress, in 1789, he privately described them (amazingly enough) as a "nauseous project," required only for expedient reasons of politics. Jack N. Rakove, Atlantic, December 1986
They found it expedient to negotiate with the terrorists. Do the right thing, not the expedient thing. Noun In 1882, racing to meet the deadline on Life on the Mississippi, he [Mark Twain] boasted to W. D. Howells that he had managed to churn out 9,500 words in a day, having resorted to the old hack's expedient of copying out large chunks from other people's books … Jonathan Raban, Times Literary Supplement, 21–27 Sept. 1990
The Viet Cong taught the peasants to dig cave shelters under the sleeping platforms rural Vietnamese cover with mats of woven straw and use as beds. This expedient gave the peasants a handy shelter right inside the house, unless that house happened to be one of those set afire by the napalm or the white phosphorus, called Willy Peter in U.S. military idiom. Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
For government is an expedient, by which men would fain succeed in letting one another alone; and, as has been said, when it is most expedient, the governed are most let alone by it. Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience," 1849
For it is plain that every word we speak is in some degree a diminution of our lungs by corrosion, and consequently contributes to the shortening of our lives. An expedient was therefore offered, that since words are only names for things, it would be more convenient for all men to carry about them such things as were necessary to express the particular business they are to discourse on. Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, 1726
The government chose short-term expedients instead of a real economic policy. We can solve this problem by the simple expedient of taking out another loan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In science fiction, teleportation is an expedient device to deliver people from one place to another with no time wasted on the journey. Quanta Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 This wealth of data, when combined with cutting-edge analytical and AI tools, is enabling venture capitalists to make more informed, more expedient strategic investment decisions. Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Amid speculation about a serious ailment or extended absence, Butler’s agent communicated with the South Florida Sun Sentinel that his client is anticipating an expedient return from his toe ailment. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2024 Despite the evidence showing that immigrants are a boon to the American economy, using immigrants as a punching bag has been politically expedient for Republicans for the last decade. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024 The mayor credited the unions for holding the university accountable, but the gesture was also politically expedient: the Board of Alders is dominated by members or allies of Unite Here. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 The bill did not include money for Ukraine despite a push for it by the White House and members of both parties in the Senate, but House Democrats embraced the plan anyway, seeing it as the most expedient way to avoid widespread government disruption. Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2023 The $250,000 amount is the total authorized, and will not necessarily be paid out if lawyers reach an expedient resolution. Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Sep. 2023 But like many expedient acts, Newsom’s promise proved less salutary with time and more like a set of handcuffs. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
Noun
When animals get sick, the methods used to end their lives, while expedient for the corporation, cause prolonged suffering for the animals. Crystal Heath, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024 Its high-stress drama of elaborate ruses and desperate expedients blends with a multilevel view of French politics, from street level to national bureaucracy. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2024 Though a class might appear to be more expedient, Max found out that group sessions simply didn’t work. By Ana Veciana-Suarez, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Take out the garbage The least elegant but most expedient method is sticking an empty 30-gallon garbage can under the runoff. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2024 This decision by Colorado, while politically expedient for some, places our democratic and constitutional system in a dangerous place and sets a precedent that undermines the rule of law and due process — no matter the political party. San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2023 In fact, dropping out is among the oldest expedients. Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023 Such expedients do not appear to have burdened many consciences. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 This memory of Latin America’s victimhood remains politically salient and expedient; in 2019, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador demanded that Spain apologize for its conquests and the atrocities committed by the conquistadors. Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'expedient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin expedient-, expendiens, present participle of expedire to extricate, prepare, be useful, from ex- + ped-, pes foot — more at foot

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expedient was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near expedient

Cite this Entry

“Expedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expedient. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

expedient

1 of 2 adjective
ex·​pe·​di·​ent ik-ˈspēd-ē-ənt How to pronounce expedient (audio)
: suitable for bringing about a desired result often without regard to what is fair or right
expediently adverb

expedient

2 of 2 noun
: a means to accomplish an end
especially : one used in place of a better means that is not available

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