expeditious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expeditious
First recorded in 1590–1600; exped(ition) + -itious
Explanation
Anything expeditious is speedy and efficient. People like shortcuts because they are expeditious. If you can do things quickly and well, then you're good at being expeditious. In math, there are often many ways to get an answer: the quickest method is the most expeditious. There might be many ways to get home from school, but the fastest is the most expeditious. But there's more to being expeditious than just speed — you have to get a good result too. If you solve a problem quickly but get it wrong, that's not very expeditious.
Vocabulary lists containing expeditious
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"All ships and aircraft enjoy the right of transit passage... for the purpose of continuous and expeditious transit of the strait," it states.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
“Our first and most important goal is the lawful, expeditious but safe transfer of these embryos back to where they belong,” Ikuta said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
In response to a request for comment from Salon, a Justice Department official said “DOJ is working to identify the most expeditious means of executing the EO.”
From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has already said the state will “ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”
From Slate • Jan. 8, 2026
More favors, innocent enough — packages to the mailbox, expeditious disposal of a bumblebee.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
