expectation
noun
ex·pec·ta·tion
ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shən 
ik-
1
: the act or state of expecting : anticipation
in expectation of what would happen
2
3
: the state of being expected
4
b
Synonyms
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 on the Web
Sean Payton and Bo Nix delivered a shocking success story to Denver this year amid low expectations.
—
Fox News Staff, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
The yield on the two-year Treasury, which tends to closely track expectations for Fed action, fell immediately after Waller’s speech and the release of a couple of economic reports.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
And according to predictive processing, wherever there’s conscious experience, there’s an underlying prior, or expectation, that’s holding it up.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025
Wide receiver JoJo Earle: The former Alabama transfer arrived at TCU with high expectations, but was never able to carve out a big role due to injuries and a lack of production.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for expectation 
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Fox News Staff, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
The yield on the two-year Treasury, which tends to closely track expectations for Fed action, fell immediately after Waller’s speech and the release of a couple of economic reports.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
And according to predictive processing, wherever there’s conscious experience, there’s an underlying prior, or expectation, that’s holding it up.
—Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025
Wide receiver JoJo Earle: The former Alabama transfer arrived at TCU with high expectations, but was never able to carve out a big role due to injuries and a lack of production.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for expectation
Dictionary Entries Near expectation
Cite this Entry
“Expectation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expectation. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expectation
noun
ex·pec·ta·tion
ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shən
ik-
1
: the act or state of expecting : a looking forward to or waiting for something
2
: chances of good or bad fortune
—usually used in plural
3
: something expected
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