Suitable for bringing about a desired result, often without regard for what is fair or right.
Example:
Reporters suggested that it would be politically expedient to nominate a vice-presidential candidate from a state with a large number of electoral votes.
Expedient comes from the Latin verb expedire, meaning "to prepare" or "to be useful" -- perhaps because the best way to prepare for something is to get your feet moving. Expedient can simply mean "desirable" or advantageous." For instance, it is often more expedient to take the train to New York than to drive and try to find a parking place. However, expedient often indicates placing self-interest ahead of moral concerns. As a company faces more and more lawsuits over its defective products, for example, it may realize that the expedient solution is to declare bankruptcy.