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expedite

verb ex·pe·dite \ ˈek-spə-ˌdīt \
|Updated on: 22 Jun 2018

Definition of expedite

expedited; expediting
transitive verb
1 : to accelerate the process or progress of : speed up
2 : to execute promptly
3 : issue, dispatch

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See expedite defined for kids

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Examples of expedite in a Sentence

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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 of expedite from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expedite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

If you're really intent on expediting something, you jump in with both feet - or apply a single foot where it will be most effective! And when you do, you're drawing on the etymology of expedite itself. The word comes from the Latin verb expedire ("to set free" or "to make useful"), a word that in turn traces back to the root ped- or pes, meaning "foot." Expedite has been used in English since at least the 15th century.

Origin and Etymology of expedite

Latin expeditus, past participle of expedire — see 1expedient

EXPEDITE Defined for English Language Learners

expedite

verb

Definition of expedite for English Language Learners

  • : to cause (something) to happen faster

Learn More about expedite

  1. See words that rhyme with expedite Spanish Central: Translation of expedite Nglish: Translation of expedite for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of expedite for Arabic speakers

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