expectant
Americanadjective
-
having expectations; expecting.
an excited, expectant audience.
-
pregnant; expecting.
an expectant mother.
-
characterized by expectations.
an expectant attitude.
-
in expectation; expected; prospective.
an expectant fortune.
noun
adjective
-
expecting, anticipating, or hopeful
an expectant glance
-
having expectations, esp of possession of something or prosperity
-
pregnant
an expectant mother
noun
-
a person who expects something
-
obsolete a candidate for office, esp for ecclesiastical preferment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expectant
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin expectant- (stem of expectāns ), present participle of expectāre to expect; see -ant
Explanation
If you're expectant, you're waiting excitedly for something. A throng of expectant fans might wait outside a concert venue, hoping for a glimpse of the band arriving. When someone's expectant, they are anticipating something good, eagerly awaiting it. When you're hoping for a call, your expectant glance might land on your cell phone every five minutes, and if you're especially hungry for lunch, you might keep an expectant eye on the clock during math class. Because pregnant women tend to be excitedly waiting for a baby to be born, they're also commonly described as expectant.
Vocabulary lists containing expectant
The Lemonade War
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Amina's Voice
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Salt to the Sea
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
For $2.50, an expectant mother can receive micronutrient supplements that prevent stunting and lifelong cognitive damage in her child—returning nearly $100 of long-term benefits per child.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
And yet again, an impatient, expectant electorate looks on.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Their relationship with Max is also much more personal: Anna was Max’s pregnant lawyer in the trial where Max stood accused of killing his expectant wife, while Tom was the prosecutor.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Many parents Rigby meets are skeptical of the accounts, while expectant parents whose newborns will qualify for the $1,000 are excited about them.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
At the cordoned-off area near Arrivals, standing apart from the other expectant people, his mother was waiting for him.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
