expectant

American  

[ik-spek-tuhnt] / ɪkˈspɛk tənt /

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 British  

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of expectant

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

Example Sentences

Essential supplies will be delivered to expectant families in some of the most deprived areas of Wales from Monday.

From BBC

Then she makes a beeline for a gaggle of giggling children and expectant women, most in flowing black cloaks.

From BBC

The expectant silence turned into a puzzled one as no one knew what this meant.

From Literature

She had downloaded a social networking app for new and expectant mothers, and began messaging a woman who lived nearby.

From BBC

Prof Grainne McAlonnan, from King's College London, said expectant mothers "do not need the stress of questioning whether medicine most commonly used for a headache could have far reaching effects on their child's health".

From BBC