expedient 1 of 2

expedient

2 of 2

noun

1
as in substitute
a temporary replacement if you're a spectator caught without rainwear at a sporting event, then a plastic garbage bag makes an acceptable, if unfashionable, expedient

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in opportunity
something that one uses to accomplish an end especially when the usual means is not available since there wasn't a single bandage left in our backpacks, we had to use a bandanna, our only expedient

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word expedient distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words advisable and politic are common synonyms of expedient. While all three words mean "dictated by practical or prudent motives," expedient usually implies what is immediately advantageous without regard for ethics or consistent principles.

a politically expedient decision

How is advisable related to other words for expedient?

Advisable applies to what is practical, prudent, or advantageous but lacks the derogatory implication of expedient and politic.

sometimes it's advisable to say nothing

When could politic be used to replace expedient?

While in some cases nearly identical to expedient, politic stresses judiciousness and tactical value but usually implies some lack of candor or sincerity.

a politic show of interest

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of expedient
Adjective
And don’t take any of these expedient risks simply because flocks of others are doing the same. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025 Depleting our rainy-day fund, aggressively raising taxes on businesses or adding to our debt are politically expedient but not useful in the long run. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
Lawmakers might find it more expedient to write clearer statutes. Marie Sapirie, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 Too often their efforts have been restricted by what politicians consider expedient and necessary. Marquis William Childs, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expedient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expedient
Adjective
  • Aston Villa accounting period covered 13 months, not one year. Source: Club financial statements All of which begs the question: are Levy and Spurs being excessively prudent?
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • As a result, many universities, including those in states with a 7% cap on prudent spending, will likely be able to increase their use of endowment funds to maintain their budgets at prior levels.
    Ellen P. Aprill, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Initially, his desire to field both relegated Fernandez to the substitutes’ bench.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • The information provided by Diversified, LLC should not be a substitute for consulting a qualified tax advisor, accountant, or other professional concerning the application of tax law or an individual tax situation.
    Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Afterward, he was given plenty of opportunities to trash-talk.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
  • But the online Osaka Virtual Expo could attract over 250 million, allowing people who cannot travel to Japan an opportunity to experience the expo, nearly quadrupling the in-person attendance record set by Shanghai Expo in 2010.
    Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
Adjective
  • Increasingly, global commerce markets make such a move desirable, and Sivagnanam’s past achievements in cross-border payments solutions demonstrate that borderless commerce is within reach.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 9 May 2025
  • Malliotakis is from a New York City district that has a different property tax scheme from the one in the suburbs that makes a higher SALT cap more desirable, LaLota said.
    Tobias Burns, The Hill, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • The university saw a string of suicides around 2010, and one victim’s father sued Cornell for negligence by not implementing appropriate suicide prevention measures related to the numerous bridges in the Ithaca, New York, area.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
  • The email includes urgent measures recipients must take.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • There is very little precedent for the hypothetical sanctions or legal recourse if they are put into place against British lawyers.
    Meredith Kile, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • In rebuttal, expect the WTA Tour to point out that waiver of recourse clauses are standard measures in pro sports and that waivers, while often the subject of critique, are typically lawful when the contracting parties are adults.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Relying on security architecture and mutual defense was not wise.
    Frank Lavin, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • Infrastructure wise Wrexham are way behind the majority of their competitors.
    The Athletic FC Podcast, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • This risk-free structure allows employers to shift funds away from temporary stopgaps like contract labor and sign-on bonuses and toward investments in long-term, stable staffing.
    Maria Flynn, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Schumer and nine other Democrats in the Senate voted to advance the GOP’s stopgap bill, giving Republicans a big win.
    Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 18 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Expedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expedient. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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