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Expedient vs Reasonable - What's the difference?

expedient | reasonable |

As a noun expedient

is expedient.

As a verb expedient

is .

As an adjective reasonable is

having the faculty of reason; endued with reason; rational.

expedient

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Simple, easy, or quick; convenient.
    • Most people, faced with a decision, will choose the most expedient option.
  • * Bible, John xvi. 7
    • It is expedient for you that I go away.
  • * Whately
    • Nothing but the right can ever be expedient , since that can never be true expediency which would sacrifice a greater good to a less.
  • Governed by self-interest, often short-term self-interest.
  • * 1861 , John Stuart Mill,
    • But the Expedient', in the sense in which it is opposed to the Right, generally means that which is ' expedient for the particular interest of the agent himself; as when a minister sacrifices the interests of his country to keep himself in place.
  • (obsolete) Quick; rapid; expeditious.
  • * Shakespeare
    • His marches are expedient to this town.

    Related terms

    * expede * expedience * expediency * expedite * expedition

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A method or means for achieving a particular result, especially when direct or efficient; a resource.
  • * 1906 , O. Henry, :
    • He would never let her know that he was aware of the strange expedient to which she had been driven by her great distress.
  • * 2009 , (Diarmaid MacCulloch), A History of Christianity , Penguin 2010, page 709:
    • Depressingly, [...] the expedient of importing African slaves was in part meant to protect the native American population from exploitation.

    External links

    * * ----

    reasonable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the faculty of reason; endued with reason; rational.
    • a reasonable being
  • Just; fair; agreeable to reason.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 27 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=The episode also opens with an inspired bit of business for Homer, who blithely refuses to acquiesce to an elderly neighbor’s utterly reasonable request that he help make the process of selling her house easier by wearing pants when he gallivants about in front of windows, throw out his impressive collection of rotting Jack-O-Lanterns from previous Halloweens and take out his garbage, as it’s attracting wildlife (cue moose and Northern Exposure theme song).}}
  • Not excessive or immoderate; within due limits; proper.
    • a reasonable demand, amount, or price
  • Not expensive; fairly priced.
    • $20 a bottle is very reasonable for a good wine at a restaurant.
  • Satisfactory.

    • Antonyms

    * arbitrary * unreasonable