as in prudent
suitable for bringing about a desired result under the circumstances
made the expedient decision to sell the land to whomever offered the most money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in means
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
he vowed to use any expedient available to get the project done on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
There’s nothing expedient about Cantonese; there’s nothing expedient about the practice of literary translation.
—
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Gun acquisition is, however, considerably more expedient for professionals with certain careers, such as law enforcement.
—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expedient
Adjective
Many of these professionals may be working with booking agents, so social media wouldn’t be the most expedient way to get to them.
—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
There’s nothing expedient about Cantonese; there’s nothing expedient about the practice of literary translation.
—
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
Her unwillingness to see this complicated problem outside of a politically expedient, simplistic partisan lens is disqualifying.
—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Gun acquisition is, however, considerably more expedient for professionals with certain careers, such as law enforcement.
—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expedient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expedient
Adjective
-
Keeping their core together seems like a prudent move.
-
Perhaps the radical thought of a black woman as president made this approach seem prudent.
Noun
-
Haaland, a fan favorite in the tournament, will start the match on the substitutes' bench, ESPN reported Friday.
-
Mathewson noted that merely keeping abreast of the latest developments is no substitute for working with them directly.
Noun
-
At the moment, Congress is having a terrible time deciding how to levy taxes, go to war, protect Social Security, confirm judges and live within its means.
-
Visiting teams, particularly from wealthy nations with the means to pay for it, will also request the most secluded rooms in the hotel, and away from the street side to minimize noise exposure.
Noun
-
Garibay’s one-handed save denied Jonathan Ricketts a sure goal in the 64th minute, and Moon pulled a 30-yard opportunity off a poor corner kick clearance just wide left.
-
The event also gave Kansas City’s Ghanaian residents an opportunity to introduce others to Jama, the tradition of singing, chanting and dancing that has long been intertwined with Ghanaian soccer culture and community celebrations.
Adjective
-
Shirts tied to a specific tour, an album release or a now-defunct venue tend to be the most desirable.
-
Such qualities might be unobjectionable, even desirable, in and of themselves, but their ubiquitous appearance across the internet has turned them into instant design clichés.
Noun
-
Pretoria has set aside a 750 million rand ($45 million) stopgap allocation to keep clinics open, protect HIV/AIDS treatment, and revive clinical research trials — less than 10% of what Washington used to inject into the system annually.
-
The bureau’s most recent projections, released Tuesday, show that the emergency measures taken this spring will only be a stopgap, unless extremely wet weather returns.
Noun
-
The agency also adopted additional security measures, such as surrounding the president with bullet-resistant glass at outdoor events.
-
Rodríguez said emergency economic measures will include relief funds for victims and temporary waivers on documentation and property registration fees to facilitate housing relocation.
Noun
-
Finally, and most important, underestimating the need for AC has left millions of people suffering through the hottest days of their lives with no recourse.
-
With unsecured debts, the main recourse is to pursue collections or legal action.
Cite this Entry
“Expedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expedient. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
