expectation

noun ex·pec·ta·tion \ ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shən , ik- \

Definition of expectation

1 :the act or state of expecting :anticipation

in expectation of what would happen

2 a :something expected

not up to expectations

expectations for an economic recovery

b :basis for expecting :assurance

they have every expectation of success

c :prospects of inheritance —usually used in plural

3 :the state of being expected

4 a :expectancy 2b

b :expected value

—

expectational

play \ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shə-nᵊl, -shnəl\ adjective

See expectation defined for English-language learners

See expectation defined for kids

Examples of expectation in a Sentence

The company has expectations of making a profit next year.
I saved the files in the expectation that they would be useful in the future.
There is widespread expectation that the strike will be settled soon.
The crowd waited in expectation of her arrival.

Recent Examples of expectation from the Web

Few of the action movies, sequels and franchise reboots have lived up to expectations, with Universal’s Despicable Me 3 and Warner’s Wonder Woman being honorable exceptions.

— alan murray, Fortune, "CEO Daily: Wednesday 30th August," 30 Aug. 2017
All the women in attendance appeared way more dressed up than us, the majority of which appeared in their early 30s or late 20s, while the men mostly appeared to be in their mid-40s and older, fulfilling the expectations of my cynicism.

— sable yong, Allure, "I Went to a Mixer for Millionaire Bachelors — Here's What Happened," 30 Aug. 2017
Carmel: Despite losing do-it-all Grace Butler and steady Lauren Nelson to graduation, Corsairs still have high expectations due to a strong group of returnees.

— bob narang, Lake County News-Sun, "Girls volleyball preview: Division I recruit Kennedy Collins boosts Zion-Benton," 29 Aug. 2017
Men who openly express self-doubt are often ostracised for failing to conform to societal expectations, and so many struggle in silence.

— shine, SELF, "Why It's Totally Normal to Feel Like an Imposter Sometimes," 29 Aug. 2017
There was nothing to change investors’ expectations that the Fed will continue to gradually raise interest rates and prepare to trim its $4.5 billion balance sheet.

— kelvin chan, The Seattle Times, "Asian shares mixed, US storm sends gasoline futures spiking," 27 Aug. 2017
There's a certain expectation for rooftop bars: a fancy space, nice views, beautiful people.

— julia thiel, Chicago Reader, "Apogee’s cocktails are made for Instagram," 24 Aug. 2017
There’s also very little expectation that Irving will go on to distinguish himself as one of the all-time greats.

— nathaniel friedman, GQ, "As Kyrie Irving Enters His Prime, What Exactly Is Boston Getting?," 23 Aug. 2017
Lowe’s earnings, Ciccarelli noted, have fallen short of Wall Street expectations four of the last six quarters.

— katherine peralta, charlotteobserver, "Still chasing Home Depot: Lowe’s disappoints again despite housing market gains," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expectation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of expectation

1540

expectation Synonyms

Synonyms

anticipation, contemplation, expectance, expectancy, prospect

Related Words

alarm (also alarum), apprehension, dread, foreboding, misgiving

EXPECTATION Defined for English Language Learners

expectation

noun

Definition of expectation for English Language Learners

: a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen
: a feeling or belief about how successful, good, etc., someone or something will be

EXPECTATION Defined for Kids

expectation

noun ex·pec·ta·tion \ ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shən \

Definition of expectation for Students

1 :the state of looking forward to or waiting for something

The crowd waited in expectation for her.

2 :something expected

The expectation was for a win.

Learn More about expectation

See words that rhyme with expectation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for expectation Spanish Central: Translation of expectation Nglish: Translation of expectation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of expectation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about expectation

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expectation

Definition of expectation

expectational

From the M-W Editors

Examples of expectation in a Sentence

Recent Examples of expectation from the Web

First Known Use of expectation

expectation Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to EXPECTATION

Related Phrases

EXPECTATION Defined for English Language Learners

expectation

Definition of expectation for English Language Learners

EXPECTATION Defined for Kids

expectation

Definition of expectation for Students

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