What does "expectation" mean?
The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
Expectation
/ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
- Grammar: expectation is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: anticipation, expected value, aftertime, afteryears.
- Useful contrasts: actual value, certainty, disbelief.
- Usage evidence: We were filled with joyful expectation.
How to use "expectation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "expectation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "expectation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "expectation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "expectation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "expectation" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anticipation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "expectation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen. countable, uncountable
"“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."
- 2 belief about (or mental picture of) the future wordnet
- 3 That which is expected or looked for. countable, uncountable
"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,[…]."
- 4 the sum of the values of a random variable divided by the number of values wordnet
- 5 That which is expected or looked for.; An implicit obligation or duty held by another in someone's view. countable, uncountable
"He struggled with his parents' expectations."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 the feeling that something is about to happen wordnet
- 7 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. countable, uncountable
"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?""
- 8 anticipating with confidence of fulfillment wordnet
- 9 The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event. countable, uncountable
- 10 The first moment; the expected value; the long-run average value of a variable over many independent repetitions of an experiment. countable, uncountable
- 11 The arithmetic mean. colloquial, countable, uncountable
- 12 The leaving of a disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure. countable, rare, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We were filled with joyful expectation."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "expectation"?
Common synonyms include: anticipation, expected value, aftertime, afteryears, anticipate, anticipating.
How do you use "expectation" in a sentence?
We were filled with joyful expectation.
How do you pronounce "expectation"?
Pronounced /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
From Middle French expectation, from Latin exspectātiō, from exspectō (“expect”). By surface analysis, expect + -ation. Displaced native Old English wēn.