to believe that something will probably happen or be true
I expect the bus to arrive any minute.
Scientists expect that the new drug will save many lives.
✦ From Latin ‘expectare’ meaning ‘to look out for’.
to think that someone should do something because it is normal or required
Parents expect their children to be polite.
The company expects high performance from all its employees.
✦ Same origin as Sense 1, Latin ‘expectare’. The idea of ‘looking for’ developed into ‘requiring’.
(usually progressive) to be pregnant
They’re expecting their first baby in July.
Maria proudly told her parents she was expecting.
✦ Sense arose in the late 18th century from ‘expecting the birth of a child’.
simple past tense and past participle of expect
No one expected the sudden storm to hit the city.
I expected you to call last night, but the phone stayed silent.
the strong feeling or belief that something will happen or be true in the future
With high expectation, the crowd waited for the fireworks to begin.
She tore open the envelope in eager expectation of good news.
✦ from Latin exspectātiō (“a waiting for”), from exspectāre “to look out for, await”.
a standard or level of performance or behaviour that people believe someone should meet
Parents often have high expectations of their children.
The coach made his expectations clear before the first practice.
in statistics, the average value of a random variable, found by weighting every possible result by its probability
The expectation of a fair six-sided die is 3.5.
Economists estimate the expectation of future inflation using complex models.
considered likely to happen, appear, or be true
The expected rainfall never arrived, leaving the fields cracked and dry.
It took longer than the expected 30 minutes to finish the exam, and some students were still writing when time was called.
feeling or showing happy and eager expectation that something will happen or arrive.
The fans sat in expectant silence as the referee approached the penalty spot.
She checked her phone with an expectant look every few minutes.
✦ From late Middle English via French 'expectant', from Latin 'expectant-' , present participle of 'expectare' meaning 'to look out for, await, desire'.
pregnant (used especially about a woman or female animal).
The expectant mother glowed with happiness at her baby shower.
Expectant parents shopped excitedly for nursery furniture.
