Expedites

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causes a task or process to be completed faster than usual
2. Facilitates quicker progress or movement in carrying out a function
3. Accelerates the completion or advancement of a procedure or activity

Etymology: "Expedites" is the third-person singular form of "expedite," so it traces back to the same root as the verb itself. That verb comes from the Latin "expedītus," meaning "unimpeded" or "unfettered," which is the past participle of "expediō," a verb meaning "bring forward" or "set right." The Latin image is one of freeing something from whatever holds it back, like a foot loosed from a snare. The sense of speed came later and grew out of that idea of removal. Something unimpeded moves along without delay, so to expedite a task is to clear away what slows it. In everyday use, then, the verb keeps the original picture: a process made to move forward by getting rid of the obstacles in its path.

Synonyms: accelerates, hastens, facilitates

Antonyms: delays, slows