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
-
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:
Technology can expedite a restaurant’s work without necessarily becoming the face — or voice — of the restaurant itself.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
But Anwar said last month he would welcome the Myanmar leader to expedite migrant repatriations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The bill would let federal agencies outsource some permitting work under the Endangered Species Act to states, which could expedite reviews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 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
Three members of the RJF Committee—Einarsson, Thorarinsson, and Sverrisson—traveled to Japan to see if they could find a way to expedite Fischer’s release.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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
"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
Following the ruling, Flynn's attorney, David Warrington, said that Scriven acknowledged the potential for harming Flynn if the committee expedites its document deadline.
From Salon ● Dec. 23, 2021
Nothing expedites like a telephone call from a general officer, so in a matter of hours Lieutenant Cummings and Lieutenant Colonel N. R. Rosengarten were on an airliner, New Jersey-bound.
From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt
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
Brokering trade deals with other countries and building new infrastructure to get products to non-U.S. markets won’t happen overnight, even with expedited approval processes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 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
“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
Let’s hope the new leadership understands the importance of expediting treatments for deadly and rare diseases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
