expedite
Americanverb (used with object)
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expedites,
present (3rd person singular)
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expedited,
past participle, past
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expediting
present participle
adjective
verb
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to hasten the progress of; hasten or assist
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to do or process (something, such as business matters) with speed and efficiency
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rare to dispatch (documents, messages, etc)
adjective
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unimpeded or prompt; expeditious
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alert or prepared
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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expeditesimple
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expeditessimple
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have expeditedperfect
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has expeditedperfect
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am expeditingprogressive
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are expeditingprogressive
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is expeditingprogressive
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have been expeditingperfect progressive
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has been expeditingperfect progressive
Past
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expeditedsimple
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had expeditedperfect
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was expeditingprogressive
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were expeditingprogressive
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had been expeditingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expedite
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin expedītus (past participle of expedīre “to disengage, set the feet free”), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + ped- (stem of pēs ) foot + -ītus adjective suffix ( see -ite 2)
Explanation
To expedite something is to make it go faster or speed up the process. Expediting that package might get it to Alaska by tomorrow, instead of next Tuesday. If someone says, "Let me expedite the process," that's probably a good thing: they're offering to speed things up. If you've ever waited in line a long time, then you must have wished someone could expedite things. A driver can expedite his commute by going in the faster car-pool lane. Whenever there's a lot of paperwork for something, it's nice to know someone who can expedite the process. When you see the word expedite, think "Make faster!"
Vocabulary lists containing expedite
Grade 10, List 5
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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This Week in Words: April 1 - 6, 2018
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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.
See Examples For:
The agency said in April that it has also streamlined internal processes to expedite death penalty cases.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The agency will use its technology to identify conditions from the compassionate allowances list so that it can expedite claims processing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Shine says the higher price could have been used to expedite the deal with Kilmer Sports, or perhaps recent Canadian-dollar depreciation, but it is still unclear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
With their sense of smell, search dogs expedite rescue efforts by quickly inspecting large areas, Parada said, which is crucial given that the chances of finding people alive decrease as the initial 72-hour window passes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
Coin thought the parachutes would expedite the war.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Creators can build large followings very inexpensively, he said, and their stories arrive further developed — which expedites the development and discovery process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
Airlines have worked with the agency to develop a biometric process that expedites verification.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
One company, Wysa, was granted a special designation from the Food and Drug Administration that expedites the process toward approving it as a medical device for people with depression and anxiety related to chronic pain.
From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2025
"This expedites the process of healing, allowing the body to move forward with tissue repair and recovery," Brown says.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024
I warn you that your release only expedites his arrest; for you can never pass beyond my surveillance; and the day you hasten to him, seals his fate.
From At the Mercy of Tiberius by Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans
State-owned newspaper al-Ahram said several suspects believed to have taken part in the plot were detained and referred for an expedited criminal trial.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
One of those state laws, written by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and co-wrote by Wiener, mandates expedited approval for mixed-income projects along commercial corridors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The Supreme Court said in a statement posted on its website that "permission to appeal is granted", with an expedited hearing expected sometime between October to December.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Merck’s drug followed an expedited approval pathway, the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher Pilot Program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Ravenel Approach, this is Marine 657. I have a fire warning light. Request penetration and vector for expedited landing. Over.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
"Whilst councils are being forced into damaging cuts, we are also expediting service transformation, which must be recognised as we begin to consider our role and expectations in public service reform," he added.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
“With more and more projects nearing completion across Pacific Palisades, the City of Los Angeles remains committed to expediting every aspect of the rebuild process until every family is back home.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
“I’m expediting state funds for food banks and directing the California National Guard and California Volunteers to help distribute this food to families,” Newsom said in an Oct.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2025
The Danish armed forces last month received a large order of shotguns after expediting an existing order, and rushed to train instructors from the navy, air force and army to hit drones with them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
Weaver brought the blind request to Raymond Fosdick, disguised as a grant application “for expediting the construction of the giant cyclotron, and for the purchase of certain associated equipment.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
