What does "expedient" mean?
A method or means for achieving a particular result, especially when direct or efficient; a resource.
Expedient
/ɪkˈspiːdi.ənt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A method or means for achieving a particular result, especially when direct or efficient; a resource.
- Grammar: expedient is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: acceleratory, action, ad hoc measure, ad hoc method.
- Useful contrasts: dilatory, impolitic, inexpedient.
- Usage evidence: Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time.
How to use "expedient"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "expedient" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "expedient" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "expedient" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "expedient" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "expedient" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acceleratory" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "expedient", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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 a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Suitable to effect some desired end or the purpose intended.
"Most people, faced with a decision, will choose the most expedient option."
- 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 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 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 serving to promote your interest wordnet
- 2 appropriate to a purpose; practical wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "expedient"?
Common synonyms include: acceleratory, action, ad hoc measure, ad hoc method, ad hoc notes, advantageous.
How do you use "expedient" in a sentence?
Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time.
How do you pronounce "expedient"?
Pronounced /ɪkˈspiːdi.ənt/.
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”).