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

The San Jose, Calif.–based company said it sees revenue reaching between $72.2 billion and $73.4 billion in 2027, surpassing a Wall Street expectation of $69.1 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Typically, there are fixed payouts and the price of the contract reflects the market’s expectation of the odds of the outcome.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

The scene sets an expectation for what we can expect from the show as a whole: It’s funny, but there’s something unsettling to how it unfolds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Investors buy stakes in SPVs with the expectation that once a company goes public or is sold, the shares will be distributed, but funds’ plans can sometimes be unclear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Each one of them looked at Singer as though in expectation.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

“The best Paralympic Games,” Parsons said of his 2028 expectations, “ever.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

The process starts with consultations on the patient's health, reasons for wanting to have the procedure, expectations about the results, and a discussion about the risks.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

For companies caught up in the AI boom, expectations remained sky high.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But out of all the co-creators and producers’ names listed in the drama’s credits, it’s Lindelof’s that heightens our expectations, owing to his outstanding success with his 2019 reinterpretation of “Watchmen.”

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

We were swept into another level of exposure and into the swift current of other people's expectations.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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