As far as I’m concerned, when you cause something to be done more quickly, you are expediting it; but I remember at the time of the high school’s chemistry course I got familiar with another word, “catalyst / catalyzer” which was a substance which could expedite the a chemical reaction’s process.
Then I think these two verbs can be always used interchangeably. E.g. I’m sure the following sentences sound idiomatic and natural and they mean exactly the same thing:
- Whereas he has some friends in high places, I expect him to catalyze the success process.
- Whereas he has some friends in high places, I expect him to expedite the success process.
Do you confirm it?
Answer
They don’t mean the same thing in regular American speech, though.
A catalyst starts a process — in just about all definitions except the chemistry-specific one. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/catalyst?s=t)
Something that expedites a process, moves it along faster.
So “Whereas he has some friends in high places, I expect him to catalyze the success process” would be understood to mean you expect the success process to be started by “him.”
While “Whereas he has some friends in high places, I expect him to expedite the success process” would be understood to mean that you expect the success process — which is already started — to be hastened along by this person.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : A-friend , Answer Author : A.Beth
