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
Regular and expedited new passport applications will both be accepted at the Roseville event.
—Fernanda Galan, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Great reviews of course boost a pic’s cost and expedite its prospects for the immediate awards season.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
One can only hope that TOOL have collectively agreed to expedite this process for the whatever their next release is.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The fight to keep the detention site open Williams, on Wednesday, again sided with the environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, denying the government’s expedited motion to pause her order.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Fernanda Galan, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Great reviews of course boost a pic’s cost and expedite its prospects for the immediate awards season.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
One can only hope that TOOL have collectively agreed to expedite this process for the whatever their next release is.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The fight to keep the detention site open Williams, on Wednesday, again sided with the environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, denying the government’s expedited motion to pause her order.
—Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 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 12 Sep. 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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