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expedience

expedience

4 7.2
A choice to do what is useful now rather than what is right
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈspiːdiəns/
  • Formal
translation icon : conveniencia
  • The decision was made for reasons of expedience, ignoring the long-term consequences.
  • political expedience

Examples

  • Extending an outstretched hand to these states must ultimately be more than just a matter of expedience or even charity.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Artist excellence must not be forfeited for political and fiscal expedience.

    Academic text (1999)
  • I was looking for expedience and saying, no, speed it up, speed it up.

  • What you said about expedience made a hell of a lot of sense.

  • The post was not written out of political expedience or disingenuousness.

    Blog text (26)
  • The still, small voice of justice was never heard above the din of expedience.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The Cook County Democratic Party has put partisan expedience above the public interest.

    Blog text (9)
  • We must plan my escape, and I'm relying on your expedience and cunning.

  • You know, your mother's health depends upon your aptitude, the expedience with which you execute your tasks.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Expedience, however, often supersedes discipline when scholars collapse the distinction between text and context.

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

expediency
vsexpedience
  • Formal
14 7.9

A choice to do what is most practical even if it is wrong

is the general idea of convenience even if morally questionable

Antonyms

107 4.3

A thing that causes trouble or discomfort

A situation when something cannot work well in everyday life

inexpedience
  • Formal
9.9

A lack of useful or wise action to reach a goal

How Expedient

opportunism
8 7.3
expedience
  • Formal
4 7.2
practicality
26 3.9
convenience
116 1.4

Surface Forms

expedience singular
expediences plural

Morphology

expedience = expedient (semi-transparent) = ex + ped + ience

The word 'expedience' is derived from 'expedient', which is a recognizable adjective form.

Etymology

Expedience comes from an old Latin verb expedire, which meant 'to free the foot' so a person could move more easily, and you can see the same root in expedite and expedition. That's why expedience now means choosing what is 'convenient' or 'practical' to get a quick result, even if it may not be the most moral choice.