expect

American

[ik-spekt] / ɪkˈspɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of.

I expect to read it. I expect him later. She expects that they will come.
to look for with reason or justification.

We expect obedience.
Informal. to suppose or surmise; guess.

I expect that you are tired from the trip.
to anticipate the birth of (one's child).

Paul and Sylvia expect their second very soon.

idioms

be expecting, to be pregnant.

The cat is expecting again.

expect British

/ ɪkˈspɛkt /

verb

to regard as probable or likely; anticipate

he expects to win
to look forward to or be waiting for

we expect good news today
to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; require

the boss expects us to work late today

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

expect More Idioms

see when least expected.

Usage

This sense of expect ( I expect you went with them. I expect you want to leave now. ) is encountered in the speech of educated people but seldom in their writing.

Other Word Forms

expectable adjective
expectably adverb
expectedly adverb
expectedness noun
expecter noun
expectingly adverb
overexpect verb
preexpect verb (used with object)
unexpectable adjective
unexpectably adverb
unexpecting adjective
unexpectingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of expect

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin ex(s)pectāre “to look out for, await,” equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + spectāre “to look at,” frequentative of specere; spectacle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Importantly, dark matter is expected to cause variations in this signal of a similar size.

From Science Daily

Quantum computers are expected to deliver extraordinary speed and computing power, with the potential to transform scientific research and business operations.

From Science Daily

"We expect this positive trend to continue into 2026 as he global economy is expected to remain steady and destinations still lagging behind pre pandemic levels fully recover."

From Barron's

But competition between the two companies remains fierce, and Mahaney expects Google to aggressively utilize Gemini and AI Overviews to defend its share of the ad market.

From MarketWatch

"I didn't expect that many people to be there. It's a learning process. I'm just trying to take it in."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023