expeditus

Latin

Etymology

From the past participle of expediō (“to free feet from snares, unfasten fetters”), from ex- (“out of”) +‎ pēs, pedis (“feet”) +‎ -iō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ek.speˈdiː.tus/, [ɛks̠pɛˈd̪iːt̪ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ek.speˈdi.tus/, [ekspeˈd̪iːt̪us]

Participle

expedītus (feminine expedīta, neuter expedītum, comparative expedītior, superlative expedītissimus, adverb expedītē); first/second-declension participle

1. unhindered, unhampered, unimpeded, unencumbered, liberated
2. disengaged, free, easy, loose, relaxed; without difficulties
3. unburdened by baggage; light; quick, fast; fluent, quick-witted
4. made fit, prepared, ready for use; at hand; on standby

   Caesar legiones quas expeditas esse iusserat [...] intromittit ― Caesar sends in the legions which he had ordered to be ready (Caesar, de Bello Gallico, VII, 11)

5. arranged, decided, settled, brought to order; determined, resolute
   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico VII.27:

     Legionibusque [...] in occulto expeditis

     And the legions being arranged secretly

6. expedited, hastened, quickened, accelerated
7. produced, developed, effected; procured, obtained
8. dispatched, sent forth; completed, executed, disposed of
9. commodious, convenient; advantageous, profitable, expedient

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	expedītus	expedīta	expedītum		expedītī	expedītae	expedīta
genitive	expedītī	expedītae	expedītī		expedītōrum	expedītārum	expedītōrum
dative	expedītō	expedītae	expedītō		expedītīs
accusative	expedītum	expedītam	expedītum		expedītōs	expedītās	expedīta
ablative	expedītō	expedītā	expedītō		expedītīs
vocative	expedīte	expedīta	expedītum		expedītī	expedītae	expedīta

Noun

expedītus m (genitive expedītī); second declension

1. light armed, infantry
   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico VII.18:

     Caesar cognovit Vercingetorigem [...] cum equitatu expeditisque [...] insidiarum causa eo profectum

     Caesar learned that Vercingetorix with a cavalry and light armed infantry had departed to that place to perform an ambush

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	expedītus	expedītī
genitive	expedītī	expedītōrum
dative	expedītō	expedītīs
accusative	expedītum	expedītōs
ablative	expedītō	expedītīs
vocative	expedīte	expedītī

Further reading

• “expeditus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “expeditus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• expeditus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 629.
• expeditus in Georges, Karl Ernst, Georges, Heinrich (1913–1918) Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th edition, volume 1, Hahnsche Buchhandlung, column 2576
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to be a ready, fluent speaker: facilem et expeditum esse ad dicendum (Brut. 48. 180)
    
  • to be never at a loss for something to say: solutum et expeditum esse ad dicendum
    
  • an easy, fluent style: expedita et facile currens oratio
    
  • a soldier lightly armed, ready for battle: expeditus (opp. impeditus) miles
    
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “expede”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “expedite”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• ONLINE LATIN DICTIONARY OLIVETTI