Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Appropriateness to the purpose at hand; fitness.
- n. Adherence to self-serving means: an ambitious politician, guided by expediency rather than principle.
- n. A means; an expedient.
- n. Obsolete Speed; haste.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The quality of being expedient; fitness or suitableness to effect some desired end or the purpose intended; propriety or advisability under the particular circumstances of a case; advantageousness.
- n. That which is expedient or suitable; the proper or most efficient mode of procedure for gaining a desired end.
- n. Specifically, the principle of doing what is deemed most practicable or serviceable under the circumstances; utilitarian wisdom.
- n. An expedient.
Wiktionary
- n. The quality of being fit or suitable to effect some desired end or the purpose intended; suitability for particular circumstance or situation.
- n. Pursuit of the course of action that brings the desired effect even if it is unjust or unprincipled.
- n. Haste; dispatch.
- n. An expedient.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the quality of being suited to the end in view
Examples
“Yet here too we may observe that what we term expediency is merely the law of right limited by the conditions of human society.”
“I can't say I share your 'Mea Culpa' view re lack of theory ... there is no great question of theory behind the advocacy of the slogan, nor of lack of theory behind our objections to it; and I still think the switching off from class struggle to race struggle an exaggeration, and a departure from Lenin, quite apart from what you call expediency (as if 'theory' were something above expediency or expediency below theory).”
Sidney Percival Bunting
“Also, and kind of ironically, you have to regard the theoretical McCain model of a politician as a straight shooting, straight talker, as a bad politician to support, since straight talking at the cost of political expediency is a bad thing. cmholm Says:”
“Also, and kind of ironically, you have to regard the theoretical McCain model of a politician as a straight shooting, straight talker, as a bad politician to support, since straight talking at the cost of political expediency is a bad thing.”
“I just think its inaccurate to criticize a politician for lying if you think that political expediency is a good justification for stuff.”
“This should not be difficult as he's well practised at putting short-term expediency before principle.”
The Guardian: Letters: The case for AV – and alternative policies
“Their disregard for scientific truth in favor of political expediency is sickening.”
“A confirmation for Sotomayor have Democrats on the Hill thinking they will garner more voter support in 2010, political expediency is the flavor of the day, not what's right or wrong based on principal.”
“When the parties consent to the exercise of jurisdiction by a magistrate judge, they are essentially agreeing to promote her pro hac vice to district judge, and attempting to gain expediency without sacrificing neutrality.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » District Court Opinions Precedential Within the Same District?
“Changing leadership for the sake of political expediency is a huge mistake and I fear that the wind will be taken out of NASA sails.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘expediency’.
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