expedient
expedient Lexical Profile
expedient Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Convenient and practical for achieving a particular purpose, although possibly improper or immoral.
"The committee decided it was more expedient to settle the dispute quietly rather than face a public inquiry."
• noun
A means of attaining an end, especially one that is convenient or makeshift but possibly improper or immoral.
"Raising emergency fees was merely a temporary expedient to balance the municipal budget before the end of the fiscal year."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'expedient' (convenient or practical, often at the expense of principle) with 'expeditious' (done with speed and efficiency).
• Rhymes for expedient
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French 'expédient', from Latin 'expedientem', the present participle of 'expedire' (to free the feet from fetters, extricate, or make ready), formed from 'ex-' (out) and 'pes' (foot).