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
The letter came in response to one sent by the New Jersey State Police, who’d also reportedly asked His Holiness to intervene in Shakur’s case and expedite her extradition.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
The bowl diffuser features aluminum plates that heat up to expedite dry time, and the comb attachment helps detangle without flattening out ringlets.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Family members and pro-immigration advocates have said that in some of the arrests, immigration judges dropped active cases against migrants, potentially expediting the deportation process.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Those on-demand, realistic substitutes could potentially expedite training for healthcare professions.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
The bowl diffuser features aluminum plates that heat up to expedite dry time, and the comb attachment helps detangle without flattening out ringlets.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Family members and pro-immigration advocates have said that in some of the arrests, immigration judges dropped active cases against migrants, potentially expediting the deportation process.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Those on-demand, realistic substitutes could potentially expedite training for healthcare professions.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 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 3 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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