expected value

American  

noun

1. Statistics, Mathematics. mathematical expectation.

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expected value British  

noun

1. Also called: mathematical expectation.  statistics the sum or integral of all possible values of a random variable, or any given function of it, multiplied by the respective probabilities of the values of the variable. Symbol: E ( X ). E ( X ) is the mean of the distribution; E ( X–c ) = E ( X )– c where c is a constant

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Etymology

Origin of expected value

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Baron said he thinks SpaceX valuation is heading much higher from the expected value of close to $2 trillion at the IPO.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

"For me, making an accurate measurement is a way of bringing order to the universe, whether or not the number agrees with the expected value," he added.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

Finance textbooks teach you about confirmation bias and expected value.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

If they could have played the game a thousand times then deciding what to do would have been easier: Keep playing unless the banker’s offer is better than the expected value.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The expected value of being a Christian would then be 0 x ∞, and that was gibberish.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife