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expeditiously

B2
adverb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ˌɛkspədˈɪʃəsli/

US

  • /ˌɛkspəˈdɪʃəsli/

Description

Imagine a royal messenger carrying urgent news to the king. They would not simply walk - they would move expeditiously, meaning quickly, efficiently, and without unnecessary delay. The idea is not just speed, but steady action with a clear purpose.

"Expeditiously" is often used in formal contexts, such as legal documents, business reports, or official instructions. A lawyer might ask an assistant to gather evidence "expeditiously," meaning it should be done as soon as possible and in an efficient way. You would not usually tell a friend to clean their room "expeditiously," but you might read that a court expects a case to move forward that way. Think of it as getting something done fast and with little wasted time.

Examples

  1. 1

    Hospital care

    The hospital staff worked expeditiously to find a bed for the patient.

  2. 2

    Application processing

    Please return the signed form expeditiously so we can process your application.

  3. 3

    Legal process

    The judge told both sides to handle the case expeditiously.

    • Usage

      common in formal or legal English

  4. 4

    Repair work

    Once the team found the source of the leak, they moved expeditiously to fix it.

  5. 5

    Project planning

    We need to proceed expeditiously if we want the new system ready by June.

See also

adverbquickly and efficiently, without unnecessary delay

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Do not confuse

  • expediently

Used with (collocations)

  • act expeditiously
  • handle the matter expeditiously
  • resolve expeditiously

Word family

Explore

  • urgency
  • turnaround time

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • expeditiouslyadverb