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

Every TV show is selling us something: “Five-Star Weekend” markets the expectation of how women should age well and politely.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

In this season of expectation, only one potential outcome will suffice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

"I don't usually feel the expectation, but that one I probably did," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Despite lowering guidance for revenue, IBM maintained its expectation for free cash flow to increase by about $1 billion in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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

The Dutch group expects revenue to exceed its previous 2027 target of $4.21 billion to $5.23 billion, citing strong orders, expectations for continued robust bookings, and visibility from customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

"There are high expectations," independent worker Marci Angeles, 31, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Society also has an expectation in that each generation will do better than the next, and when reality and expectations don't match there's inevitable disappointment.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

This may be one of those situations in which beating expectations is not necessarily a good thing.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

We’d lived with other people’s expectations so long that they were almost embedded in every conversation we had.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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