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

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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

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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

Despite this expectation, scientists still struggle to model the final stages of these mergers.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

“Given Tesla’s history over the last 20 years, I have almost no expectation that it will actually go into production in 2028,” said Sam Abuelsamid, a vice president of research at automotive advisory firm Telemetry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Unlike other major footballing countries on the continent, there is no expectation for sporting or technical directors to speak to the media.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

For gross margin, it said it sees about 56% for 2026, compared to a previous expectation of a range between 54% and 56%.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

There is aboard this ship a spirit of expectation which delights the heart as it vivifies the senses.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

The property website said the total was the highest of any month for 15 years and was driven, in part, by a glut of homes on the market and some sellers setting unrealistic expectations.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

The latest jobs report fell far short of expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Prediction markets also measure expectations, and bettors can repeat the same bet multiple times, while polls attempt a snapshot of the entire population.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

They then used 24 estimates of the world population stretching across the past 2,000 years to show that human numbers have in fact continually outpaced expectations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

I was the three-time US national champion and the two-time World Champion, which meant people’s expectations of me in Glasgow were sky high.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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Related Words

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

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