Meaning of Expedite
To expedite means to speed up or make a process or action happen more quickly. It refers to taking steps to accelerate or facilitate a task, often to meet a deadline or achieve efficiency in completing something.
Etymology
The word expedite comes from the Latin verb expedire, meaning “to make free” or “to unimpede,” from ex- (out) and pes (foot). The original sense was to make someone ready or unimpeded, and over time, it evolved to mean speeding up or facilitating a process.
Detailed Explanation
Expediting is the act of ensuring that a task, process, or project is completed more efficiently or within a shorter time frame. This often involves removing obstacles or streamlining steps to avoid delays. It is commonly used in business, logistics, and project management to ensure that objectives are met promptly.
For example, a company may expedite the shipping of an order to ensure timely delivery, or a manager may expedite the review of a report to meet a deadline. The term can also be applied to bureaucratic processes, like expediting visa applications or permit approvals.
Examples
- The company hired more staff to expedite the processing of orders during the holiday rush.
- To meet the project deadline, they decided to expedite the approval process by holding an emergency meeting.
Synonyms with Explanation
- Accelerate: To increase the speed of a process or action, similar to expediting.
- Hasten: To make something happen more quickly or earlier than planned.
- Facilitate: To make a process easier or more efficient, though not always with the same connotation of speeding things up.
- Rush: To hurry or speed something along, often in a way that sacrifices quality or care.
Few Related Terms
- Efficiency: The quality of performing tasks in the quickest and most effective way, often a goal when expediting processes.
- Streamline: To simplify or eliminate unnecessary steps in a process, making it easier or faster to complete.
- Urgency: A sense of immediate need, often leading to actions that expedite the completion of tasks.
Antonyms with Explanation
- Delay: To cause something to happen later than expected, the opposite of expediting.
- Postpone: To arrange for something to occur at a later time, implying a slowing down of progress.
- Hinder: To create obstacles or difficulties that prevent or slow down progress, directly opposing the idea of expediting.
Other Words Started with “Ex-“
- Examine: To inspect or scrutinize something carefully.
- Exceed: To surpass or go beyond a limit or expectation.
- Exemplify: To illustrate or clarify by providing examples or showing how something works.
