expedience
/ɛkˈspiː.dɪ.əns/
expedience · noun — the quality of being fit or suitable to cause some desired end or the purpose intended; propriety or advisability under the particular circumstances of a case. It carries an Arena rating of 1608, earned across 34 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, expedience ranks #1,149 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #2,779 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,702 of 17,151 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #5,352 of 17,171 for Scariest Words.
expedience is pronounced /ɛkˈspiː.dɪ.əns/.
Why “expedience” is a great word
EXPEDIENCE — [Noun] The quality of being suitable or advantageous for achieving a desired purpose under specific circumstances. From Middle English expedience, from Old French expedience, from Late Latin expedientia, from Latin expediens, present participle of expedire ("to extricate, prepare, be useful"), from ex- ("out") + pes ("foot"). Unlike "expediency," which often suggests a self-serving or principle-bending advantage, or "prudence," which implies wise foresight, expedience is the cool calculus of immediate suitability. It is the sharp rock chosen to cut a rope, the stripped-down script for a crucial speech, the plank used to bridge a ditch—each a local solution that clears the immediate path. It is the art of the possible when the ideal is out of reach.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle English expedience, from Old French expedience, from Late Latin expedientia, from Latin expediens.
noun
- The quality of being fit or suitable to cause some desired end or the purpose intended; propriety or advisability under the particular circumstances of a case.e.g.“April 11 1690, John Sharp, sermon preached at White-Hall
to determine concerning the expedience of actions”
- Speed, haste or urgency.e.g.“making hither with all due expedience” — 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to th
- Something that is expedient.
- An expedition; enterprise; adventure.e.g.“forwarding this dear expedience” — c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and E
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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