expectation

American  

[ek-spek-tay-shuhn] / ˌɛk spɛkˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• expectations
  plural

1. 

   the act or the state of expecting.

   to wait in expectation.

2. the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.

   Synonyms:

   trust, hope, anticipation, expectancy

3. an expectant mental attitude.

   a high pitch of expectation.

4. something expected; a thing looked forward to.

5. Often expectations. a prospect of future good or profit.

   to have great expectations.

6. the degree of probability that something will occur.

   There is little expectation that he will come.

7. Mathematics, Statistics. mathematical expectation.

8. the state of being expected.

   a large sum of money in expectation.

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expectation British  

/ ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or state of expecting or the state of being expected

2. (usually plural) something looked forward to, whether feared or hoped for

   we have great expectations for his future

   their worst expectations

3. an attitude of expectancy or hope; anticipation

   to regard something with expectation

4. statistics

   1. the numerical probability that an event will occur

   2. another term for expected value

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• expectationist
  noun
• overexpectation
  noun
• preexpectation
  noun
• superexpectation
  noun
• expectational
  adjective
• expectative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• expectations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of expectation

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ex(s)pectātiōn-, stem of ex(s)pectātiō “anticipation, suspense,” from ex(s)pectāt(us) (past participle of ex(s)pectāre “to look out for, await”) + -iō -ion; see expect

Explanation

An expectation is a belief about what might happen in the future, like your expectation to stay close with your best friends your whole life. The word expectation comes from the Latin word expectationem, meaning "an awaiting." If you have great expectations, you think something good will come your way, but if keep your expectations low, you won't risk being disappointed. Expectation can also describe something that is supposed to happen, like a teacher whose expectation is that everyone comes to class prepared.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

expectation expectations

Jonathan Scourfield, professor of Social Care at Cardiff University, said: "Young men, in particular, are much more likely to get injured and die from physical risk taking. The expectation of physical strength."

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

"Plants aren't put in the ground with the expectation of lasting a presidential cycle," Brinley said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Nike’s stock fell 3.6% to $33.87 a day after the company said it would shrink operations and cut jobs, with an expectation that sales would continue to drop this fiscal year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

“That’s the expectation we have here. There’s definitely a level of excitement.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Father Cham leaned toward him, his face held taut with expectation.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

That has forced many central banks to raise interest rates and stoked expectations of further increases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Manager Andree Jeglertz would have to rotate his squad and live up to expectations - and so far he has done a good job.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

“The nice thing about ceramics is you have to let it go. None of these expectations come out the way you want. It’s a good lesson.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Wells Fargo upgraded Cleveland-Cliffs, saying near-term earnings could beat expectations even as a planned Iowa steel mill raises concerns about future supply.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

They may have different interval patterns between the "scale" notes, have different expectations for how each note of the raga is to be used, and may even use slightly different tunings.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• assumption
• chance
• confidence
• fear
• forecast
• hope
• intention
• likelihood
• notion
• outlook
• possibility
• prediction
• promise
• prospect
• trust
• view