Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

expectation

American  
[ek-spek-tey-shuhn] / ˌɛk spɛkˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

  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.
expectation British  
/ ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃən, ɪkˈspɛktətɪv /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

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

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; expect

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.

The public has an expectation that someday we will have the ability to walk into a museum and see this stuff.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

“My expectation was that artists were starving,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The theory was he would no longer be tied down by the burden of his own expectation and quickly produce more major victories now his 11-year fallow period had finally ended.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Looking ahead, Aehr now expects bookings to be on the “high end” of its previous expectation of $60 million to $80 million in the second half of fiscal 2026.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

That the space which these things occupied was itself an expectation.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

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.