expectant

[ik-spek-tuhnt]

adjective

1. having expectations; expecting.

   an excited, expectant audience.

2. pregnant; expecting.

   an expectant mother.

3. characterized by expectations.

   an expectant attitude.

4. in expectation; expected; prospective.

   an expectant fortune.

noun

1. a person who expects or who waits in expectation.

expectant

/ ɪkˈspɛktənt /

adjective

1. expecting, anticipating, or hopeful

   an expectant glance

2. having expectations, esp of possession of something or prosperity

3. pregnant

   an expectant mother

noun

1. a person who expects something

2. obsolete,  a candidate for office, esp for ecclesiastical preferment

Other Word Forms

• expectantly adverb
• half-expectant adjective
• half-expectantly adverb
• nonexpectant adjective
• nonexpectantly adverb
• overexpectant adjective
• overexpectantly adverb
• preexpectant noun
• quasi-expectant adjective
• quasi-expectantly adverb
• unexpectant adjective
• unexpectantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of expectant¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin expectant- (stem of expectāns ), present participle of expectāre to expect; -ant

Example Sentences

The women around the table look at Benefo with expectant expressions.

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Was the expectant rodent determined to be the very best squirrel parent possible?

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Problems with your pelvic joints are a common symptom of pregnancy, affecting one in five expectant mothers to some degree.

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"It's at the so-called home of rugby, with a full house and an expectant English team," he tells the Rugby Union Weekly podcast from the All Blacks' team hotel.

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Notice how an expectant person’s water breaking always happens at the least convenient and often alarming times.

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