expeditionary
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expeditionary
First recorded in 1700–10; expedition + -ary
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.
Central Command, responsible for American forces in the Middle East, to move a Marine expeditionary group, among others, to the region, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
On Friday, the Pentagon announced that an additional expeditionary unit of 2,500 Marines was being deployed to the region to support the effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026
The United States Marines are the country’s elite shock troops and an expeditionary force that specializes in amphibious assaults.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025
Chinese records appear to first mention the island in AD239, when an emperor dispatched an expeditionary force to it - a fact Beijing uses to back its territorial claim.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2024
A British expeditionary force was about to sail across the English Channel and link up with French forces fighting in Belgium.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
![]()
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.