expedient
Part of speech: adj
noun
Morphological type: simple
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”).
Inflected forms:
form: more expedient
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most expedient
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: expedients
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Suitable to effect some desired end or the purpose intended.
pos: adj
examples: Most people, faced with a decision, will choose the most expedient option.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter willnot come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Nothing but the right can ever be the expedient, since that can never be true expediency which would sacrifice a greater good to a less.
gloss: Affording short-term benefit, often at the expense of the long-term.
pos: adj
examples: [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.
That's because the debate pits textbook economics — which argues that bailouts beget bad behavior begets more bailouts — against practical politics. And politics, or the taking of expedient steps to keep people happy, will almost always win.
Government has slowly but positively moved from an active course of following plans and policies to the easier and more expedient course of the counterpuncher.
Its policies toward foreign lab or across these eras reflect these sharp differences in context, but also reflect a common pattern to treat the recruitment and deployment of foreign nationals as an expedient measure to serve immediate economic objectives
gloss: Governed by self-interest, often short-term self-interest.
pos: adj
examples: 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.
gloss: Expeditious, quick, rapid.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: 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.
gloss: A method or means for achieving a particular result, especially when direct or efficient; a resource.
pos: noun
examples: To secure such a market, there is no other expedient, than to promote manufacturing establishments.
He would never let her know that he was aware of the strange expedient to which she had been driven by her great distress.
Depressingly, [...] the expedient of importing African slaves was in part meant to protect the native American population from exploitation.
Synonyms: advisable
desirable
judicious
politic
prudent
tactical
wise
Related words: expede
expedience
expediency
expedite
expedition
Derived words: expediently
inexpedient
unexpedient
Translations: