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:
But Anwar said last month he would welcome the Myanmar leader to expedite migrant repatriations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Or are you looking to expedite the payoff so that you don’t have mortgage debt for he rest of your life?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
"Additionally, our study suggests potential therapeutic opportunities to expedite this process, such as repurposing drugs like SGLT2 inhibitors, which have shown promise in reducing inflammation and promoting immune-mediated clearance of senescent cells in obesity."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
Its goal—elements of which were outlined in a 43-word program titled “For Peace and Freedom!”—was simply to influence the discourse enough to expedite an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine, Rybakov said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
First, Kappe hinted that something was soon going to happen that would expedite a plan he and his office had been working on for some time.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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
The declaration unlocks state funding and expedites help for governments requesting it, Mellor said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
Just as the low stroke impedes the motion of the ball, the follow expedites it.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various
Companies are also taking a hard look at pricier expedited orders, calculating whether some customers can wait or even if some can pick up their orders themselves.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Usually, the league asks for an expedited process from the independent arbitration company which handles disciplinary cases.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Bats found in occupied buildings are tested “on an expedited basis,” the statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Both cases are expected to reach the state Supreme Court on expedited appeals.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
We have seen that each step in oxidation is directed and expedited by a specific enzyme.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
"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
On Tuesday, at least six federal prosecutors resigned in protest and others in Minnesota and Washington reportedly are expediting plans to quit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026
The companies have said they want to make it easier for customers to switch—in the interest of expediting their own growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025
She did not answer questions about the donor’s role in expediting the funding or Noem’s relationship with him.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 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.
