What does expedition mean?
An expedition is an organized journey undertaken for a definite purpose — most commonly exploration, scientific research, climbing, or military operations. Unlike an ordinary trip or holiday, an expedition implies careful planning, a specific objective, and often challenging conditions, which lends the word connotations of ambition, endurance, and adventure. It is frequently paired with modifiers that signal its aim or terrain: a polar expedition, a scientific expedition, an expedition to the summit. In formal contexts, chiefly British legal and administrative English, expedition can also mean speed or efficiency in completing a task, as in 'the matter was handled with due expedition'. The word derives from the Latin expedire, meaning to free from difficulty or make ready, and entered English in the early 15th century through Old French. Its derivatives include the adjective expeditionary, used especially in phrases like 'expeditionary force', describing troops sent to serve abroad.
A journey or voyage undertaken by a group of people for a particular purpose, such as exploration, scientific investigation, or warfare.
"The Antarctic expedition endured months of extreme cold and isolation."
Often used with prepositions such as 'on' or 'to': 'go on an expedition', 'an expedition to Everest'.
Promptness or efficiency in performing a task.
"The court ordered the matter to be resolved with expedition."
This sense is now largely confined to formal, legal, and administrative registers.
The standard plural simply adds -s; it is used freely when referring to multiple organized journeys.
"She led several Arctic expeditions before retiring from fieldwork."
The word 'expedition' shares its Latin root with 'pedal' — every expedition is, at its heart, a journey made by foot.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of expedition
Expedition comes from the Latin noun expeditio, meaning 'an enterprise' or 'a setting forth', derived from the verb expedire, 'to free one's feet from entanglement' and hence 'to make ready' or 'to accomplish'. This root combines ex- ('out') with pes ('foot'), the same root that gives us pedal, pedestrian, and impede. The word passed into Middle French as expédition and entered English around the early 15th century, initially retaining both senses of a journey and of speedy accomplishment. Related words sharing the same Latin root include expedite, expedient, and impede.
Related word forms
How expedition is actually used
In its primary sense, 'expedition' carries connotations of purposefulness and often hardship or adventure; it is typically applied to journeys with clear objectives rather than casual travel. The secondary sense of 'speed' is now largely formal and appears chiefly in legal or official writing, often in phrases like 'with expedition'.
Easily confused with expedition
'Expeditionary' is an adjective describing something related to an expedition (e.g. an expeditionary force), while 'expedition' is the noun referring to the journey itself.