What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Timely vs Expeditious - What's the difference?

timely | expeditious |

As adjectives the difference between timely and expeditious

is that timely is done at the proper time while expeditious is fast, prompt, speedy.

As an adverb timely

is (archaic) in good time; early, quickly.

timely

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Done at the proper time.
  • Happening or appearing at the proper time.
  • * Milton
    • The timely dew of sleep.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 20 , author=Jamie Lillywhite , title=Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The athletic Walker, one of Tottenham's more effective attacking elements with his raids from right-back, made a timely intervention after Rose had been dispossessed and even Aaron Lennon was needed to provide an interception in the danger zone to foil another attempt by the Russians.}}
  • (obsolete) Keeping time or measure.
    • (Spenser)

    Synonyms

    * (done at the proper time ): well-timed * (happening or appearing at the proper time ): opportune, seasonable

    Antonyms

    * (done at the proper time ): badly timed, ill-timed * (happening or appearing at the proper time ): inopportune, unseasonable

    Derived terms

    * mistimely * overtimely * timelily * timeliness * timely-parted * untimely

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (archaic) In good time; early, quickly.
  • * 2000 , (George RR Martin), A Storm of Swords , Bantam 2011, p. 587:
    • ‘If I had been born more timely , he said, Rhaegar would have married me instead of Elia, and it would all have come out different.’
  • (obsolete) At the right time; seasonably.
  • * 1646 , (Thomas Browne), Pseudodoxia Epidemica :
    • And this we shall more readily perform, if we timely survey our knowledge, impartially singling out those encroachments, which junior compliance and popular credulity hath admitted.

    See also

    * seasonably

    expeditious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Fast, prompt, speedy.
  • * 1815 , , Emma , ch. 38,
    • Our coachman and horses are so extremely expeditious !—I believe we drive faster than any body.
  • (of a process or thing) Completed or done with efficiency and speed; facilitating speed.
  • * 1816 , , The Antiquary , vol. 1, ch. 7,
    • As they thus pressed forward, longing doubtless to exchange the easy curving line, which the sinuosities of the bay compelled them to adopt, for a straighter and more expeditious path, Sir Arthur observed a human figure on the beach.
  • * 1844 , , Barry Lyndon , ch. 14,
    • Now, there was a sort of rough-and-ready law in Ireland in those days, which was of great convenience to persons desirous of expeditious justice.

    Related terms

    * expedite * expeditiously