Expedited

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To accelerate the progress of a task or procedure while enhancing efficiency and adhering to a faster timeline
2. To speed up an operation or process while ensuring effective execution within a shorter timeframe
3. To cause a task or procedure to move forward more quickly than usual while maintaining quality

Etymology: "Expedited" is the past tense of "expedite," which comes from Latin "expedītus," meaning "unimpeded" or "unfettered." That sense is literal: the Latin adjective described something freed from the entanglements that hold it back, like a person whose feet are no longer tied. The verb "expedio" that produced it could mean "to free" or "to disentangle," and it also carried the sense of setting something right or bringing it forward. The English verb carries that same idea of removing obstacles. To expedite a task is to clear the way so it can move faster, which is why the word now means speeding up work rather than simply speeding it up in general. The original image of loosened ties survives in the sense of getting something unblocked.

Synonyms: accelerated, hastened, facilitated, speeded, quickened

Antonyms: delayed, slowed, impeded, hindered, retarded