awaited; awaiting; awaits

transitive verb

1
a
: to wait for
We are awaiting his arrival.
await a decision
b
: to remain in abeyance until
a treaty awaiting ratification
2
: to be in store for
He wonders what awaits him next.
3
obsolete : to lie in wait for

intransitive verb

1
: to stay or be in waiting : wait
The nation awaited as Congress debated the issue.
2
: to be in store
… marched … north to civilization where fame and fortune awaited.Tom Marvel
3
obsolete : attend

Examples of await in a Sentence

A crowd of people awaited the train. We're eagerly awaiting his arrival. He was arrested and is now in prison awaiting trial. Her long-awaited new novel is finally being published. The same fate awaits us all.
Recent Examples on the Web Nearly 500 miles of green forested backdrop awaits, from North Carolina all the way up to Virginia. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024 Elsewhere on the grounds, a number of spaces await you for downtime with family and friends. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, more legal woes await Trump: The question of whether Trump's New York criminal hush money case will soon go to trial will be discussed in a Monday hearing. USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024 Investigators are awaiting toxicology test results as the investigation continues, said sheriff’s Sgt. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024 One passed both houses of Florida’s legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature. Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 And some great weekend trips, shows, concerts and other fun stuff await. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024 Sapp is free now, awaiting his new trial, and Jones again is a central figure in the case. The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 The day many observers of financial regulation have long been awaiting (and dreading) has come. Richard Morrison, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'await.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French aweiter, aguaiter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + guaiter to watch — more at wait

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of await was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near await

Cite this Entry

“Await.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/await. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

await

verb
1
: to wait for : expect
await a train
2
: to be ready or waiting for
a reward awaits you

More from Merriam-Webster on await

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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