Expedient

//ɪkˈspiːdi.ənt// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A method or means for achieving a particular result, especially when direct or efficient; a resource.

    "To secure such a market, there is no other expedient, than to promote manufacturing establishments."

  2. 2
    a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Suitable to effect some desired end or the purpose intended.

    "Most people, faced with a decision, will choose the most expedient option."

  2. 2
    Affording short-term benefit, often at the expense of the long-term.

    "[T]he judges were unanimously of opinion that [...] by the common law of England, no man, not authorised by the crown, had a right to publish political news. While the Whig party was still formidable, the government thought it expedient occasionally to connive at the violation of this rule."

  3. 3
    Governed by self-interest, often short-term self-interest.

    "But the Expedient, in the sense in which it is opposed to the Right, generally means that which is expedient for the particular interest of the agent himself; as when a minister sacrifices the interests of his country to keep himself in place."

  4. 4
    Expeditious, quick, rapid. obsolete

    "the adverse winds / Whose leisure I have stay'd, have given him time / To land his legions all as soon as I; / His marches are expedient to this town / His forces strong, his soldiers confident."

Adjective
  1. 1
    serving to promote your interest wordnet
  2. 2
    appropriate to a purpose; practical wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
advantageousadvisablepoliticactionad hoc measureadvisable

Example

More examples

"Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time."

Etymology

From Middle English expedient, from Old French expedient, from Latin expediens (stem expedient-), present participle of expedire (“to bring forward, to dispatch, to expedite; impers. to be profitable, serviceable, advantageous, expedient”), from ex (“out”) + pēs (“foot, hoof”).

Related phrases

self interest

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.