DIMENSIONS: MEASURE / Proportion
R E F E R E N C E S
1 Expedient adj [ME, fr. MF or L; MF, fr. L expedient-, expendiens, prp. of expedire to extricate, prepare, be useful, fr. ex- + ped-, pes foot -more at Foot] [14c] 1: suitable for achieving a particular end in a given circumstance 2: characterized by concepts with what is opportune; esp: governed by self-interest
-syn Expedient, Politic, Advisable mean dictated by practical or prudent motives. Expedient usu. implies what is immediately advantageous without regard for ethics or consistent principles [a poliltically expedient decision]. Politic stresses judiciousness and tactical value but usu. implies some lack of candor or sincerity [a politic show of interest]. Advisable applies to what is practical, prudent, or advantagious but lacks the derogatory implications of expedient and Politic [sometimes it's advisable to say nothing].
2 Expedient n [1635]: something expedient: a temporary means to an end -syn see Resource
Expediency n [1612] 1: the quality or state of being suited to the end in view: Suitability, Fitness 2 obs a: Haste, Dispatch b: an enterprise requiring haste or caution 3: adherence to expedient means and methods [put more emphasis on __ than on principle -W.H. Hones] 4: a means of achieving a particular end: Expedient
[Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition. Springfield, MA, USA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1995.]
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