Expedite

Simple meaning

Expedite means to make something happen faster than it normally would — deliberately speeding up a process, approval, or action.

Detailed meaning

Expedite comes from the Latin expedire — to free from obstacles, to make ready. When you expedite something, you remove the slowdowns and push it through faster.

It is a formal word, most at home in:

• Business and operations — "expedite the shipment", "expedite the approval process"
• Customer service — "we will expedite your order"
• Project management — "expedite the sign-off"
• Government and legal — "expedite the review"

What expedite adds over speed up: it implies that the normal process is being actively bypassed or compressed — someone is deliberately intervening to make it go faster.

Where to use it

It works well in:

• Requests and instructions — "Please expedite this."
• Explaining urgency — "We need to expedite because..."
• Formal correspondence — "We would appreciate if you could expedite the processing."

Where not to use it

Expedite is formal. In casual conversation, just say speed up, rush, or move faster.

5 example sentences

1. The client asked us to expedite delivery — they needed the product before their annual event, not after.
2. We will expedite the refund process — you should see it in your account within three business days.
3. The project manager worked to expedite the approvals by consolidating three review stages into one.
4. Given the urgency of the situation, the government agreed to expedite the visa application.
5. She asked her manager to expedite the budget decision — the team couldn't start work without the confirmed allocation.

Similar & opposite words

Similar (synonyms)

Opposite (antonyms)

Shade of difference: Speed up is casual and general. Expedite is formal and implies deliberate action — someone is intervening in a process to make it faster. Accelerate is neutral and often used for natural speed increase. Fast-track is informal-professional — bypassing normal queue or process. Deferred is the opposite — pushed further out.

Memory trick

Summary

Expedite means to deliberately make something happen faster — to intervene in a process and compress the timeline. It is a formal and professional word for situations where urgency requires action. Use it when someone is actively removing slowdowns and pushing something through — not just hoping it will move faster.