Definition of expect
intransitive verb
2 : to look forward
3 : to be pregnant : await the birth of one's child —used in progressive tenses she's expecting next month
transitive verb
1 archaic : await
2 : to anticipate or look forward to the coming or occurrence of we expect them any minute now expected a telephone call
4a : to consider probable or certain expect to be forgiven expect that things will improveb : to consider reasonable, due, or necessary expected hard work from the studentsc : to consider bound in duty or obligated they expect you to pay your bills
expectedly
adverbexpectedness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of expect in a Sentence
As expected, the election was very close.
It's expected that the new products will be available next month.
Prices are expected to rise.
He's opposed to the new law, as you might expect.
Good things sometimes happen when you least expect them.
I'm expecting a phone call.
The expected delivery date is next month.
He's a teacher who expects hard work from his students.
We expected more from you.
This is not the kind of behavior I expected of you.
Recent Examples of expect from the Web
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Mecklenburg jail ▪ Two men accused of torturing and murdering wealthy Charlotte businessman David Doyle in July 2015 are expected to enter pleas in the case.
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Fans can also expect to see protesters near the track entrance to protest the deaths of horses that occur annually at the track.
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Snapchat expects the NBC news show will help increase user engagement, which is currently growing at over 30 minutes a day, said Sean Mills, head of original content at Snapchat.
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One notable difference this time was that no one expected Trump to contribute meaningfully to passing the bill.
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Expect to see more of these affordable offerings hit the streets this summer, as AMD’s budget-friendly Ryzen 3 processors launch on July 27.
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However, Fox News has learned a meeting with the Senate committee is expected this week.
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Although the Taliban was no longer in power and their burqa rule had been lifted, the women were not sure what to expect.
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Ultimately, there proved to be more than expected to choose from.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of expect
Latin exspectare to look forward to, from ex- + spectare to look at, frequentative of specere to look — more at spy
Synonym Discussion of expect
EXPECT Defined for English Language Learners
expect
playDefinition of expect for English Language Learners
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: to think that something will probably or certainly happen
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: to think that (someone or something) will arrive or that (something) will happen
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: to consider (something) to be reasonable, required, or necessary
EXPECT Defined for Kids
expect
playDefinition of expect for Students
expected
;expecting
1 : to think that something probably will be or happen They expect rain. Close up the motorcycle looked even better than he expected. — Beverly Cleary, The Mouse and the Motorcycle
2 : to await the arrival of We're expecting guests.
3 : to consider to be obliged I expect you to pay your debts.
4 : to consider reasonable, due, or necessary I expect your attention.
Medical Dictionary
expect
playMedical Definition of expect
: to be pregnant : await the birth of one's child—used in progressive tenses she's expecting next month
Learn More about expect
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See words that rhyme with expect Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for expect Spanish Central: Translation of expect Nglish: Translation of expect for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of expect for Arabic speakers
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