expeditious

adjective

ex·​pe·​di·​tious ˌek-spə-ˈdi-shəs How to pronounce expeditious (audio)
: marked by or acting with prompt efficiency
expeditiously adverb
expeditiousness noun

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The Real Root of Expeditious

Expeditious has had quite the journey through the English language. It comes to us from the related noun expedition, which in turn comes from the Latin verb expedire (“to set free” or “to make ready”). When expedition first set forth in English in the 1400s, it did so with two meanings that are still in use today, “a journey especially by a group of people for a specific purpose” and “efficient promptness.” Expeditious later followed as an adjectival form of the latter. Something (such as, say, preparation for a long voyage) done expeditiously is done quickly and efficiently; in other words, it is expedited. Like expeditious and expedition, expedite too comes from expedire.

Choose the Right Synonym for expeditious

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment

speedy delivery of mail

and may also suggest unusual velocity.

hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

Examples of expeditious in a Sentence

a company that is well-regarded for its expeditious handling of any request or complaint
Recent Examples on the Web His ascent was met with an equally expeditious fall. Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2024 An easy breakfast or expeditious snack, a smoothie is the deliciously healthy cousin to an ice cream shake. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 26 June 2024 But that would have been awkward and not the most expeditious way of accomplishing the task. Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 23 Feb. 2024 Separately, Creech has two state appeals that were argued on an expeditious timeline before the Idaho Supreme Court on Monday. Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for expeditious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'expeditious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expeditious was in 1599

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Dictionary Entries Near expeditious

Cite this Entry

“Expeditious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expeditious. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

expeditious

adjective
ex·​pe·​di·​tious ˌek-spə-ˈdish-əs How to pronounce expeditious (audio)
: marked by or acting with promptness
expeditious service
expeditiously adverb
expeditiousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on expeditious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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