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 Trump family looked for places to add properties around the globe, finding fertile ground in Vietnam, where the prime minister reportedly promised to expedite a Trump project.
—Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
China has since moved to ease those restrictions, with some measures tailored specifically to expedite issuance of such export licenses to European businesses.
—Sophie Kiderlin,anniek Bao,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 July 2025
Trump also signed executive orders to expedite permitting for AI projects and export American AI products abroad.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
The power couple hired an army of 70 contractors for renovations that were quoted to take between 12 and 18 months, but would be expedited to conclude in just five months.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
China has since moved to ease those restrictions, with some measures tailored specifically to expedite issuance of such export licenses to European businesses.
—Sophie Kiderlin,anniek Bao,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 July 2025
Trump also signed executive orders to expedite permitting for AI projects and export American AI products abroad.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
The power couple hired an army of 70 contractors for renovations that were quoted to take between 12 and 18 months, but would be expedited to conclude in just five months.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 23 July 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 1 Aug. 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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