Expedient

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Expedient

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective and noun

Pronunciation

ik-SPEE-dee-unt  /ɪkˈspiːdɪənt/

Definition

As an adjective: convenient and practical, though possibly improper or immoral; serving one's purpose without necessarily being right or fair. As a noun: a means of achieving a result, often a hasty or temporary one.

Plain meaning

Convenient and useful in the short term — even if not quite the right thing to do. The practical choice rather than the principled one.

Register

Formal to neutral. In ethics and politics, often implies a contrast with principle. In everyday use, can simply mean practical.