The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is expeditious. Read on for what it means, how it’s used, and more.

What It Means

Expeditious is a formal word that is used to describe someone acting in a quick and efficient way, or something done in such a manner.

// Known for their expeditious service, the restaurant staff had the family’s order ready in less than no time.

EXPEDITIOUS in Context

“County administrative judges oversee the administration of the court, budget and procurement functions. They also manage trial calendars to ensure the expeditious disposition of cases.” — The Daily Record (Baltimore, Maryland), 4 Oct. 2022

Did You Know?

Expeditious has had quite the journey through the English language. It comes to us from the related noun expedition, which in turn comes from the Latin verb expedire (“to set free” or “to make ready”). When expedition first set forth in English in the 1400s, it did so with two meanings that are still in use today, “a journey especially by a group of people for a specific purpose” and “efficient promptness.” Expeditious later followed as an adjectival form of the latter. Something (such as, say, preparation for a long voyage) done expeditiously is done quickly and efficiently; in other words, it is expedited. Like expeditious and expedition, expedite too comes from expedire.

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