expediential = exponential

[Benjamin Zimmer]

I recently came across the malapropism "expediential growth". Turns
out there are Googlehits aplenty:

"expediential growth": 1,100
"expediential rate": 387
"expediential rates": 77
"expediential increase": 61
"expediential rise": 43
"grow|grows|growing|grown|grew expedientially": 113
"expand|expands|expanding|expanded expedientially": 69
"increase|increases|increasing|increased expedientially": 57

Some examples from academic and journalistic sources...

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http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=19
"Conducting Web-Based Surveys," David J. Solomon, Michigan State University
Despite expediential growth of the Internet there are still large
numbers of people who do not have access and/or choose not to use the
Internet.
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http://its.strose.edu/Resources/policies.asp?News_id=102
The College of St. Rose, Information Technology Services
The breadth of information available electronically has increased over
the years at an expediential rate.
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http://www.cit.cornell.edu/oit/Arch-Init/email.html
Cornell University, Office of Information Technologies
Few users of Cornell's mail systems are unaware of the expediential
increase in unwanted e-mail.
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http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=749254&sourceType=1
Market Wire, 9 July 2007
With the recent development of the Child Watch Network, in conjunction
with pending acquisitions to be announced in the near future, the
company is poised for expediential growth.
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http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200403/ai_mark227996677
Market Wire, Mar 2004
"We have set the stage for continued growth at an expediential rate in
2004," stated Peter Cunningham, President and CEO of AXM Pharma, Inc.
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http://finance.bnet.com/bnet?GUID=1907019&Page=MediaViewer&Ticker=BHS
Business Wire, 25 Apr 2007
And, with its location in a city where employment opportunities have
grown at an expediential rate over the past few years, Edenglen will
provide housing options for those people who are employed here yet
currently live elsewhere.
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--Ben Zimmer

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org