expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt 
expedited; expediting
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
Attorneys are now turning to habeas petitions, which function as emergency lawsuits, to expedite the release of children to their parents and sponsors.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Purchasing most of the kitchen equipment from Calle 75’s owners should help expedite things.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026
Miami-Dade’s then-program administrator, Cristina Reboredo Leon, streamlined the process by having the Alliance for Aging — a county program that oversees such payments — expedite the monthly subsidies.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Miami-Dade County designated the Citadel site as part of a rapid transit zone, special areas where the authorities greatly expedite the zoning approval process.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Purchasing most of the kitchen equipment from Calle 75’s owners should help expedite things.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026
Miami-Dade’s then-program administrator, Cristina Reboredo Leon, streamlined the process by having the Alliance for Aging — a county program that oversees such payments — expedite the monthly subsidies.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Miami-Dade County designated the Citadel site as part of a rapid transit zone, special areas where the authorities greatly expedite the zoning approval process.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expedite
Cite this Entry
“Expedite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expedite. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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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