expectation

American  

[ek-spek-tey-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, 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

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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

“My expectation is that these jobs are going to continue to grow as companies, not only tech companies, start to figure out how they’re going to implement AI into their businesses,” Yasukochi said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

There is a lot of pressure and expectation on his shoulders but he is a brilliant player and it just seems like he'll be able to cope with that.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

I am wondering whether the expectation that you pick up your co-workers’ slack is put on you by your colleagues or your manager.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

If counseling services and mindfulness programs are readily available in college, paid time off for mental health may seem like a reasonable expectation in the workplace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Seeing that I had finished my iced cocoa, he passed me his own glass with the unspoken expectation that I should drink the rest.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

For management, dividends create future expectations whereas buybacks can be turned on and off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing index for August rose to 47.4 from 41.4 in July, beating economists expectations for just 24.1 Leading economic indicators are due at 10 a.m.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

But like it or not, he must learn to reckon with the heightened expectations and speculation that comes with simply being good at his current job.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Starbucks last month reported quarterly earnings and sales that outpaced analysts’ expectations, and increased its forecast for full-year same-store sales and earnings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

In the weeks he’d spent mentoring Clare, he’d even spoken minimally—revealing very little outside of the duties and expectations that came with ushering.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

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