Dictionary

expectation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌek.spekˈtæɪ.ʃən/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• (California) audio
• /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle French expectation, from Latin exspectātiō, from exspectō (“expect”). By surface analysis, expect + -ation. Displaced native Old English wēn.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
   • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;[…]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) That which is expected or looked for.
   • Thus the B.R. diesel fleet today is composed of a rather assorted collection of designs. Some have proved to be remarkably satisfactory in service; others have so far not come up to expectations and I suppose it is doubtful whether any more orders for some types will be forthcoming. 1961 March, B.A. Haresnape, “Design on the railway”, in Trains Illustrated, page 145:
   • And so it had always pleased M. Stutz to expect great things from the dark young man whom he had first seen in his early twenties ; and his expectations had waxed rather than waned on hearing the faint bruit of the love of Ivor and Virginia—for Virginia, M. Stutz thought, would bring fineness to a point in a man like Ivor Marlay,[…]. 1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./1/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
   • I entered early adulthood with the same expectation: I would marry, and my husband would manage our money. 2026 April 22, Jillian Sanders, “The Danger of Surrendering Your Financial Independence in a Relationship”, in TIME, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2026:
3. (countable, uncountable) That which is expected or looked for. ▸ An implicit obligation or duty held by another in someone's view.
   • He struggled with his parents' expectations.
4. (countable, uncountable) The prospect of the future; grounds upon which something excellent is expected to occur; prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank.
   • Emma was not sorry to be pressed. She read, and was surprized. The style of the letter was much above her expectation. There were not merely no grammatical errors, but as a composition it would not have disgraced a gentleman; the language, though plain, was strong and unaffected, and the sentiments it conveyed very much to the credit of the writer. It was short, but expressed good sense, warm attachment, liberality, propriety, even delicacy of feeling. She paused over it, while Harriet stood anxiously watching for her opinion, with a "Well, well," and was at last forced to add, "Is it a good letter? or is it too short?" 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 7, in Emma: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
   • Charles Penrhyn, for he was the object of Louisa's preference, had expectations—that term, so vague when those expectations depend upon others. 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IX, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 108:
5. (countable, uncountable) The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event.
6. (countable, uncountable) The first moment; the expected value; the long-run average value of a variable over many independent repetitions of an experiment.
7. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) The arithmetic mean.
8. (countable, rare, uncountable) The leaving of a disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure.

Forms

Deriveds

concession-counter-expectation · Pythagorean expectation · Expectation Week · expectations hypothesis · contraexpectation · overexpectation · nonexpectation · Expectation Sunday · expectational · inexpectation · racism of low expectations · preexpectation · expectations game · misexpectation · unexpectation · soft bigotry of low expectations · sexpectation

Relateds

expect · expected · Wikipedia:Expected value · expectant

Translations (102)

bg вероятност (that which is expected or looked for) · nb forventning (act or state of expecting) · hi आकांक्षा (act or state of expecting) · cs očekávání (that which is expected or looked for) · el προσδοκία (that which is expected or looked for) · ja 期待 (that which is expected or looked for) · nl verwachting (act or state of expecting) · it attesa (act or state of expecting) · cmn 期待 (that which is expected or looked for) · gd fiughair (act or state of expecting) · bg чакане (act or state of expecting) · pl oczekiwanie (that which is expected or looked for) · pl wartość oczekiwana (the value of any chance which depends upon some contingent event) · ru ча́яние (that which is expected or looked for) · de Erwartung (that which is expected or looked for) · fi odotus (act or state of expecting) · eo anticipio (act or state of expecting) · hy ակնկալիք (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · ms jangkaan (that which is expected or looked for) · it attese (that which is expected or looked for) · ro anticipare (act or state of expecting) · ckb چاوەڕوان (act or state of expecting) · gd fiughair (that which is expected or looked for) · nn forventning (act or state of expecting) · nn forventing (act or state of expecting) · got 𐍅𐌴𐌽𐍃 (act or state of expecting) · hy ակնկալիք (that which is expected or looked for) · ro anticipație (that which is expected or looked for) · es expectativa (the value of any chance which depends upon some contingent event) · gd dùil (that which is expected or looked for) · hi आकांक्षा (that which is expected or looked for) · it aspettativa (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · el αναμονή (act or state of expecting) · ja 予想 (act or state of expecting) · ja 期待 (act or state of expecting) · mk очекување (act or state of expecting) · ms jangkaan (act or state of expecting) · hy սպասում (act or state of expecting) · ro expectativă (that which is expected or looked for) · de Erwartung (act or state of expecting) · fr attente (act or state of expecting) · et ootus (that which is expected or looked for) · pt expectativa (that which is expected or looked for) · it aspettativa (that which is expected or looked for) · id harapan (that which is expected or looked for) · ga oirchill (act or state of expecting) · sv förväntning (that which is expected or looked for) · cmn 期望值 (the value of any chance which depends upon some contingent event) · pt espera (act or state of expecting) · sw kusudio (act or state of expecting) · cmn 等待 (act or state of expecting) · es expectación (act or state of expecting) · ru ожида́ние (that which is expected or looked for) · ja 予期 (act or state of expecting) · gd dùil (act or state of expecting) · cmn 期望 (that which is expected or looked for) · sh očekivanje (act or state of expecting) · zza tesla (act or state of expecting) · nl verwachting (that which is expected or looked for) · ro așteptat (that which is expected or looked for) · sv förväntan (that which is expected or looked for) · et ootus (act or state of expecting) · el προσμονή (act or state of expecting) · pl oczekiwanie (act or state of expecting) · bg очакване (act or state of expecting) · pt expectação (act or state of expecting) · ru ожида́ние (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · ml പ്രതീക്ഷ (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · uk очі́кування (act or state of expecting) · fi odotusarvo (the value of any chance which depends upon some contingent event) · hi आशा (act or state of expecting) · ro așteptare (act or state of expecting) · ru наде́жда (that which is expected or looked for) · uk очі́кування (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · cmn 期待 (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · ja 心待ち (that which is expected or looked for) · sh очекивање (act or state of expecting) · uk наді́я (that which is expected or looked for) · cmn 期望 (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · cs očekávání (act or state of expecting) · fi odotus (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · mi kawatau (that which is expected or looked for) · mi kawatau (act or state of expecting) · hi अपेक्षा (act or state of expecting) · ru ожида́ние (act or state of expecting) · ca expectació (act or state of expecting) · aii ܡܸܣܬܲܟܝܵܢܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ (act or state of expecting) · ml പ്രതീക്ഷ (act or state of expecting) · ja 希望 (that which is expected or looked for) · bg надежда (that which is expected or looked for) · sw tarajio (that which is expected or looked for) · es expectativa (that which is expected or looked for) · ang wēn (act or state of expecting) · es expectativa (prospect of anything good to come, especially of property or rank) · fi odotus (that which is expected or looked for) · nl afwachting (act or state of expecting) · ga dúil (act or state of expecting) · grc προσδοκία (act or state of expecting) · fr attente (that which is expected or looked for) · aii ܣܘܼܟܵܝܵܐ (act or state of expecting) · sv förväntan (act or state of expecting) · ca expectativa (that which is expected or looked for)