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
That trust just only grows more, and the chemistry is just going to expedite that whole process.
—Jon MacHota, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
There is a bag policy in effect for the shows, and organizers are encouraging fans to travel light to expedite entry into the venue.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
Trump has also told the Energy and Interior departments, together with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to remove barriers to coal leasing and extraction and to expedite permits.
—John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
This summer, Louisiana’s Public Service Commission voted to expedite the approval for the construction of three natural gas turbines that will run the center on more than 2 gigawatts of energy, WIRED reported.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Jon MacHota, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
There is a bag policy in effect for the shows, and organizers are encouraging fans to travel light to expedite entry into the venue.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
Trump has also told the Energy and Interior departments, together with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to remove barriers to coal leasing and extraction and to expedite permits.
—John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
This summer, Louisiana’s Public Service Commission voted to expedite the approval for the construction of three natural gas turbines that will run the center on more than 2 gigawatts of energy, WIRED reported.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 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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