expectation
Americannoun
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expectations
plural
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the act or the state of expecting.
to wait in expectation.
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the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.
- Synonyms:
- trust, hope, anticipation, expectancy
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an expectant mental attitude.
a high pitch of expectation.
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something expected; a thing looked forward to.
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Often expectations. a prospect of future good or profit.
to have great expectations.
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the degree of probability that something will occur.
There is little expectation that he will come.
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Mathematics, Statistics. mathematical expectation.
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the state of being expected.
a large sum of money in expectation.
noun
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the act or state of expecting or the state of being expected
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(usually plural) something looked forward to, whether feared or hoped for
we have great expectations for his future
their worst expectations
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an attitude of expectancy or hope; anticipation
to regard something with expectation
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statistics
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the numerical probability that an event will occur
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another term for expected value
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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expectationistnoun
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overexpectationnoun
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preexpectationnoun
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superexpectationnoun
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expectationaladjective
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expectativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing expectation
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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The Crossover
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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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.
See Examples For:
Under these approaches, global temperatures would temporarily rise beyond a target limit, with the expectation that future technologies could later reduce temperatures again.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
Typically, there are fixed payouts and the price of the contract reflects the market’s expectation of the odds of the outcome.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
The scene sets an expectation for what we can expect from the show as a whole: It’s funny, but there’s something unsettling to how it unfolds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Investors buy stakes in SPVs with the expectation that once a company goes public or is sold, the shares will be distributed, but funds’ plans can sometimes be unclear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Barringer believed that the crater had been formed by a ten-million-ton meteor, heavily freighted with iron and nickel, and it was his confident expectation that he would make a fortune digging it out.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
By her own record-breaking expectations, Hodgkinson's outdoor season has not lived up to the excellent indoor campaign which fuelled excitement that she could break the sport's longest-standing mark.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Against this backdrop, investor demand for the 5y sector, where policy-rate expectations account for a relatively larger share of yield determination, will be a key focus,” they added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
But out of all the co-creators and producers’ names listed in the drama’s credits, it’s Lindelof’s that heightens our expectations, owing to his outstanding success with his 2019 reinterpretation of “Watchmen.”
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
"Even though Europe's problems have only gotten worse with this summer's abnormally hot temperatures, drying rivers and further disrupting transport within the continent, earnings expectations for Stoxx 600 companies keep rising!"
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
She felt torn between living up to the expectations of her father and her fiancé, both important men in her life.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
