expect
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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to look for with reason or justification.
We expect obedience.
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Informal. to suppose or surmise; guess.
I expect that you are tired from the trip.
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to anticipate the birth of (one's child).
Paul and Sylvia expect their second very soon.
idioms
verb
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to regard as probable or likely; anticipate
he expects to win
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to look forward to or be waiting for
we expect good news today
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to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; require
the boss expects us to work late today
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.
And Klein acknowledged in a recent note that he’s “been wrong here for six months” by expecting strong numbers to excite investors.
From MarketWatch
However, Emanuel does expect increased market volatility in 2026, and he recognizes that concerns about systemic AI risk has tarnished the tech sector somewhat of late.
From MarketWatch
In November, AMD CEO Lisa Su said at the company’s analyst day that she expects the total addressable market for data centers to reach $1 trillion by the end of the decade.
From MarketWatch
No one expected them to be a playoff team before the season.
The board has said it expects to decide on all those possible additions by the end of summer.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
