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): [ɛk.spɛˈdiː.tʊs]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ek.speˈd̪iː.t̪us]
Participle
expedītus (feminine expedīta, neuter expedītum, comparative expedītior, superlative expedītissimus, adverb expedītē); first/second-declension participle
- unhindered, unhampered, unimpeded, unencumbered, liberated
- disengaged, free, easy, loose, relaxed; without difficulties
- unburdened by baggage; light; quick, fast; fluent, quick-witted
- made fit, prepared, ready for use; at hand; on standby
- Caesar legiōnēs quās expedītās esse iusserat [...] intrōmittit ― Caesar sends in the legions which he had ordered to be ready (Caesar, de Bello Gallico, VII, 11)
- 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
- Legionibusque [...] in occulto expeditis
- expedited, hastened, quickened, accelerated
- produced, developed, effected; procured, obtained
- dispatched, sent forth; completed, executed, disposed of
- 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
- 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
- Caesar cognovit Vercingetorigem [...] cum equitatu expeditisque [...] insidiarum causa eo profectum
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
- to be a ready, fluent speaker: facilem et expeditum esse ad dicendum (Brut. 48. 180)
- 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