expectation

American  

[ek-spek-tay-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 /

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

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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

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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

“I remain positive in the expectation that France will have a budget that sets this direction of a downward trend,” said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Unlike other major footballing countries on the continent, there is no expectation for sporting or technical directors to speak to the media.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

This suggests the effects of compression garments on recovery are physiological and aren’t simply due to expectation or perception.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

For gross margin, it said it sees about 56% for 2026, compared to a previous expectation of a range between 54% and 56%.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Did I somehow miss the moment when that became an expectation?

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

The market can show “little mercy when expectations and reported figures diverge, and AI-related stocks quickly began to show cracks,” Lee added.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Without a studio machine making decisions based primarily on commercial expectations, filmmakers have more room to tell a story on their own terms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Those expectations at the moment are so low as to defy measurement.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Canadian consumer-price inflation data for September are due on Monday and will be a key indicator for expectations regarding the timing of a Bank of Canada rate hike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

He was always polite, but his expectations for others in the organization were high, Ophelia told me.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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Related Words

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

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