expectation
Americannoun
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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:
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
Another reason for this year’s harsh software-sector declines could be the expectation of slowing sales growth for many companies.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
And all the other waiters would hear, would bow to us, would smile, and we would pass into the lounge, a wave of excitement following us, a flutter of expectation.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
They hold that economic growth expectations are lower compared to earlier in the year, which means there’s opportunity for a positive surprise as those downgrades are reversed, they said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Deutsche Bank DBK 4.98%increase; green up pointing triangle said it would buy back another half a billion euros in shares, equivalent to $569.3 million, after booking a sharp rise in profit that exceeded market expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
PayPal’s stock jumped 4% to $58.32 Tuesday after the company reported second-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
A new Honda engine is due for the next race - the Dutch Grand Prix on 21-23 August - with expectations it should edge the team forwards a little more.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Everybody has all these huge expectations of me, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to meet them.”
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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.
