expediency
Americannoun
plural
expediencies-
the quality of being expedient; advantageousness; advisability.
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a regard for what is politic or advantageous rather than for what is right or just; a sense of self-interest.
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something expedient.
noun
-
appropriateness; suitability
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the use of or inclination towards methods that are advantageous rather than fair or just
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another word for expedient
Other Word Forms
- nonexpedience noun
- nonexpediency noun
Etymology
Origin of expediency
From the Late Latin word expedientia, dating back to 1605–15. See expedient, -ency
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.
Critics said the move stripped the office of much of its authority, particularly to enforce responsible AI standards, in favor of expediency.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Apple is pacing itself, putting user experience and privacy above expediency.
From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025
Barr, which made clear that immigration enforcement must be tethered to the Constitution, not expediency.
From Slate • Sep. 22, 2025
As such, the government in Kuala Lumpur may have little choice but to sacrifice domestic approval to economic expediency.
From Salon • Aug. 2, 2025
In the Icefall, though, expediency dictated that each of us climb independently, without being physically connected to one another in any way.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
