Standard Lemma guide

inexpedient

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnɪkˈspiːdi.ənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not expedient; not tending to promote a purpose; not tending to the end desired; unsuitable to time and place

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

not suitable or advisable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an inexpedient tactic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: expedient

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

not appropriate to the purpose

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unwise

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English expedient English inexpedient From in- + expedient.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неподходящ (nepodhodjašt) — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Bulgarian: нецелесъобразен (necelesǎobrazen) — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Danish: uhensigtsmæssig — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Dutch: ondoelmatig — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Dutch: ongeschikt — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Dutch: onverstandig — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Finnish: epätarkoituksenmukainen — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Hungarian: célszerűtlen — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Hungarian: alkalmatlan — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Italian: infruttuoso — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Italian: inefficiente — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Latin: inexpediēns — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Polish: niecelowy — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Russian: нецелесообра́зный (necelesoobráznyj) — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Swedish: oändamålsenlig — not tending to promote a purpose
  • Ukrainian: недоці́льний (nedocílʹnyj) — not tending to promote a purpose