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Today it means

expedition

a journey undertaken by a group for a specific purpose, such as exploration

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Where does the word "expedition" come from? It comes from Latin expedire, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

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Where does the word "expedition" come from? It comes from Latin expedire, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).

Expedition’s story begins in Latin: expedire meant “to free the feet, to prepare for a journey.” Literally to free the feet, from ex- (out) and pes (foot), meaning to prepare or set out. It reached English by 1400s as expedition. Settled as the English word for a journey undertaken for a specific purpose. Today, expedition means a journey undertaken by a group for a specific purpose, such as exploration.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient expedire "to free the feet, to prepare for a journey", literally to free the feet, from ex- (out) and pes (foot), meaning to prepare or set out.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1400s expedition "a journey undertaken for a specific purpose", settled as the English word for a journey undertaken for a specific purpose.

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