expedite

verb

ex·​pe·​dite ˈek-spə-ˌdīt 

expedited; expediting

transitive verb

1

: to accelerate the process or progress of : speed up

2

: to execute promptly

3

: issue, dispatch

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Revolution Medicines has received a voucher from the FDA’s Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher pilot program, which is designed to expedite the review of certain medications. —Eva Flowe april 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026

Experts say the directive could expedite studies on how psychedelic and hallucinatory drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026

That way, when a role opens, recruiters can tap into this pool instead of starting a new search, potentially expediting the process. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026

Ignacio Álvarez Martínez, the family’s attorney and a former IACHR Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, told the AP that the request for priority status is intended to expedite the Commission’s decision on whether to formally process the complaint. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin expeditus, past participle of expedire — see expedient entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for expedite

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite

Kids Definition

expedite

verb

ex·​pe·​dite ˈek-spə-ˌdīt 

expedited; expediting

: to speed up the process or progress of