expectation

American  

[ek-spek-tey-shuhn] / ˌɛk spɛkˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

expectations plural

1. the act or the state of expecting.

   to wait in expectation.

2. the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.

   Synonyms:

   trust, hope, anticipation, expectancy

3. an expectant mental attitude.

   a high pitch of expectation.

4. something expected; a thing looked forward to.

5. Often expectations. a prospect of future good or profit.

   to have great expectations.

6. the degree of probability that something will occur.

   There is little expectation that he will come.

7. Mathematics, Statistics. mathematical expectation.

8. the state of being expected.

   a large sum of money in expectation.

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expectation British  

/ ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃən, ɪkˈspɛktətɪv /

noun

1. the act or state of expecting or the state of being expected

2. (usually plural) something looked forward to, whether feared or hoped for

   we have great expectations for his future

   their worst expectations

3. an attitude of expectancy or hope; anticipation

   to regard something with expectation

4. statistics

   1. the numerical probability that an event will occur

   2. another term for expected value

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• expectationist
  noun
• overexpectation
  noun
• preexpectation
  noun
• superexpectation
  noun
• expectational
  adjective
• expectative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• expectations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of expectation

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ex(s)pectātiōn-, stem of ex(s)pectātiō “anticipation, suspense,” from ex(s)pectāt(us) (past participle of ex(s)pectāre “to look out for, await”) + -iō -ion; see expect

Explanation

An expectation is a belief about what might happen in the future, like your expectation to stay close with your best friends your whole life. The word expectation comes from the Latin word expectationem, meaning "an awaiting." If you have great expectations, you think something good will come your way, but if keep your expectations low, you won't risk being disappointed. Expectation can also describe something that is supposed to happen, like a teacher whose expectation is that everyone comes to class prepared.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

expectation expectations

Every TV show is selling us something: “Five-Star Weekend” markets the expectation of how women should age well and politely.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

"I don't usually feel the expectation, but that one I probably did," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

UBS’s current expectation is for a flat underlying profit in fiscal 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said: "It is our clear understanding and expectation that the US will honor the commitments that are spelled out under the EU-US Joint Statement, whatever tariff regime is constructed."

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

General Haig’s expectation of a breakthrough was never realized.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

First developed in the 1950s by British psychiatrist John Bowlby, attachment theory suggests that the bonds we form with early caregivers shape our expectations of relationships.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

If a stock beats expectations for earnings per share and that company’s management team estimates continuing growth for sales and profits, then analysts are likely to raise their own estimates.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

The result surpassed analysts’ expectations of 19.45 billion euros, according to a Visible Alpha poll of estimates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

And it’s unclear whether the Tigers will indeed trade him; rival executives’ expectations appear to be inconsistent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

I didn't want to set up any expectations.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

Related Words

• assumption
• chance
• confidence
• fear
• forecast
• hope
• intention
• likelihood
• notion
• outlook
• possibility
• prediction
• promise
• prospect
• trust
• view