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

"I was told that was an unrealistic expectation," she says.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

What diners surrendered wasn’t necessarily quality so much as a little hospitality, a little transparency and, increasingly, the expectation that a restaurant represented somebody’s particular idea of what a restaurant should be.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 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

I will never feel the pressure of peers or the burden of parental expectation.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

Policymakers continued to see inflationary risks stemming from AI investments, improving pricing power, higher inflation expectations and demand for skilled labor, Danske Bank analyst Jens Peter Sorensen says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

And earlier this week, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he received an apology from his Ukrainian counterpart, but added that it fell short of Seoul's expectations, according to local reports.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

South Korean titan Samsung's shares fell as it forecast a more than 780 percent leap in third-quarter operating profit -- thanks to high memory chip prices -- but missed expectations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The chip maker recorded a ninefold jump in operating profit yet the print was below market expectations, prompting a 2.4% fall in the stock and a broader drop in Asian tech stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

I know I don't want to feel as if I need people to meet my expectations as a mother, friend, boyfriend, or even brother.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Related Words

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