expectationex‧pec‧ta‧tion /ˌekspekˈteɪʃən/ ●●○ noun 
For some time he lived with the expectation that he was going to die.in (the) expectation of something Anne left Germany in the expectation of seeing her family again before very long.against/contrary to (all) expectations Against all expectations, getting up at five is actually easier in winter. Having raised expectations (=made people more hopeful), he went on to help only a few people.above/below expectations Profits are below expectations.beyond (somebody’s) expectations Gina has succeeded beyond our expectations. The show exceeded all expectations (=was much better than expected).come/live up to (somebody’s) expectations His performance did not live up to our expectations (=was not as good as we expected). The number of people who attended fell short of expectations (=was lower than expected).2[countable usually plural] a feeling or belief about the way something should be or how someone should behaveexpectation of Women who have high expectations of marriage are often disappointed. Some people have totally unrealistic expectations of both medical and nursing staff.3expectation of life the number of years that someone is likely to live SYN life expectancyCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2adjectiveshigh (=expecting that someone or something will be successful)· Like most parents, we have high expectations for our children.low (=expecting that someone or something will not be very successful)· Their expectations of success were pretty low.great expectations (=very high)· Emigrants sailed to America with great expectations.reasonable expectations (=the expectation that something will probably be successful, but may not be)· It is a difficult operation, but we have reasonable expectations of success.realistic expectations (=the expectation that bad things can happen as well as good things)· The disease is not curable, and patients must have realistic expectations.unreasonable/unrealistic expectations (=expectations that are too high)· I think you had unrealistic expectations of what could be achieved in the time.legitimate expectations law (=expectations based on someone's legal rights)· The men have legitimate expectations of a fair hearing.growing/rising/increased expectations (=becoming higher)· China's economy will grow considerably over the next five years, bringing rising expectations of wealth.general/popular/widespread expectations (=shared by a lot of people)· The general expectation was for married couples to have children.family/parental expectations (=expectations that families or parents have for their children)· Parental expectations for a first child tend to be quite high.social expectations (=relating to what society thinks or expects)· Social expectations of masculine and feminine behaviour changed drastically during the 1960s and '70s.career expectations (=someone's expectations about how well they will do in their job)· People with low self-esteem usually have low career expectations.verbshave expectations (also hold expectations formal)· Many migrant workers had high expectations when they arrived, but not anymore.raise somebody's expectations (=make someone expect more success, money etc)· Having raised expectations, the government failed to live up to its promises.lower somebody's expectations (=make someone expect less success, money etc)· If you can't afford your dream home, you may have to lower your expectations.come up to/live up to somebody's expectations (=be as good as someone hoped or expected)· The match was boring, and didn't live up to our expectations at all.fulfil/satisfy somebody's expectations formal (=be as good as someone hoped or expected)· The band failed to fulfil the fans' expectations.exceed/surpass somebody's expectations (=be or do better than you hoped or expected)· The holiday exceeded our expectations.fall below/fall short of somebody's expectations (=be worse that someone hoped or expected)· Our profits last year fell below expectations.create expectations (=make people expect that something will happen)· The events of the last few weeks have created expectations of an economic recession.confound somebody's expectations (=be different to what someone expected, in a way that surprises or confuses them)· The play totally confounds the audience's expectations.phrasesabove expectations (=higher, better, or more successful than expected)· Economic growth last month was above expectations.below expectations (=lower, worse, or less successful than expected)· Retail sales in December were well below expectations.beyond all expectations (=greater or better than someone expected)· The task took two months to complete, but it was successful far beyond all expectations.against/contrary to expectations (=very different to what someone expected)· Contrary to our expectations, the share price actually increased.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- At least that was the expectation as 8,000 people gathered in a vast, beautiful hall in London last month.
- But what of the expectation of life of some one who has reached the age of forty?
- He had had no expectation of doing more than exasperate, and supply a distraction.
- Maker and wearer share a breathtaking expectation.
- Maybe 5-6 was a reasonable expectation.
- This would indicate that the expectation of impotence in old age can play an important role in actually bringing it about.
Longman Language Activatorto do something because you expect something to happen
especially spoken to expect something to happen, so that you make plans or take actions that depend on it happening: · We had expected it to take about an hour to get home, but we hadn't reckoned on the traffic.reckon/figure on doing something: · Visitors to the city should figure on spending about $150 a day for food and lodging.reckon/figure on somebody doing something: · We can reckon on about 100 people coming to the meeting.
to expect something so much that your plans depend on it happening or you are completely prepared for it when it happens: · We're counting on good weather for the picnic - if it rains, we'll have to cancel.count on doing something: · The automaker is planning on earning large profits with this new model.count on somebody doing something: · Don't count on Congress passing the bill anytime soon.
especially written if you make plans or take actions in expectation or anticipation of something happening, you do this because you expect it to happen and you want to be prepared: · The workers have called off their strike in expectation of a pay settlement.· Residents are buying supplies and stacking wood in anticipation of the coming storms.
use this to tell someone not to be too sure that what they are hoping for will happen: · If you want to go on a date sometime, you can ask me. But don't count your chickens.· Getting an Oscar would be wonderful, but I think it's too early to count my chickens.
what you say when you expect something to happen especially British /I guess especially American · Hasn't Tony arrived yet? He'll be here soon, I expect.I expect (that) · I expect your mother will be overjoyed when she hears you're having a baby.I expect/guess so · "Is Alan going to drive tonight?" "Yeah, I guess so."
informal use this to introduce something that you expect to happen because of what you know about someone or about the way things usually happen. I bet is more common than my bet is: I bet/my bet is (that): · I bet you'll miss your boyfriend when you go away for college.· Sandra says she's never going to have any children, but my bet is she has at least three.
use this when you have a feeling that something is going to happen, especially something bad or unpleasant: · You'll find Rick's parents rather hard to talk to, I suspect.I suspect (that): · I suspect that 10 years after the book is published, nobody will even remember the name of the author.
especially British also I should think British use this when you think something is likely to happen although you are not really sure: · It'll be cooler down by the lake, I would think.I would think (that): · I should think Sarah and Greg will be going to the party.I would/should think so: · "Will you have finished work by 6.30?'' "Oh yes, I should think so.''
say this when you think something may happen, even though other people think it is unlikely: · "Do you think they'll get married?" "I wouldn't be surprised."I wouldn't be surprised if: · You know, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the top executives lose their jobs.
formal use this to introduce something that you expect to happen because of information that you have: · My expectation is that the two companies will eventually come to an agreement.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meanings 1 & 2adjectives The resort certainly failed to come up to expectations. His performance exceeded our expectations. Like many young actors, I had high hopes when I first started out. The film has certainly lived up to my expectations. Shares in the company dropped 26p yesterday, as profits fell short of City expectations. He had surpassed all our expectations. Some parents have totally unrealistic expectations of teachers.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
(=expecting that someone or something will be successful)· Like most parents, we have high expectations for our children.
(=expecting that someone or something will not be very successful)· Their expectations of success were pretty low.
(=very high)· Emigrants sailed to America with great expectations.
(=the expectation that something will probably be successful, but may not be)· It is a difficult operation, but we have reasonable expectations of success.
(=the expectation that bad things can happen as well as good things)· The disease is not curable, and patients must have realistic expectations.
(=expectations that are too high)· I think you had unrealistic expectations of what could be achieved in the time.
law (=expectations based on someone's legal rights)· The men have legitimate expectations of a fair hearing.
(=becoming higher)· China's economy will grow considerably over the next five years, bringing rising expectations of wealth.
(=shared by a lot of people)· The general expectation was for married couples to have children.
(=expectations that families or parents have for their children)· Parental expectations for a first child tend to be quite high.
(=relating to what society thinks or expects)· Social expectations of masculine and feminine behaviour changed drastically during the 1960s and '70s.
(=someone's expectations about how well they will do in their job)· People with low self-esteem usually have low career expectations.
verbs (also hold expectations formal)· Many migrant workers had high expectations when they arrived, but not anymore.
(=make someone expect more success, money etc)· Having raised expectations, the government failed to live up to its promises.
(=make someone expect less success, money etc)· If you can't afford your dream home, you may have to lower your expectations.
(=be as good as someone hoped or expected)· The match was boring, and didn't live up to our expectations at all.
formal (=be as good as someone hoped or expected)· The band failed to fulfil the fans' expectations.
(=be or do better than you hoped or expected)· The holiday exceeded our expectations.
(=be worse that someone hoped or expected)· Our profits last year fell below expectations.
(=make people expect that something will happen)· The events of the last few weeks have created expectations of an economic recession.
(=be different to what someone expected, in a way that surprises or confuses them)· The play totally confounds the audience's expectations.
phrases (=higher, better, or more successful than expected)· Economic growth last month was above expectations.
(=lower, worse, or less successful than expected)· Retail sales in December were well below expectations.
(=greater or better than someone expected)· The task took two months to complete, but it was successful far beyond all expectations.
(=very different to what someone expected)· Contrary to our expectations, the share price actually increased.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The resort certainly failed to come up to expectations. His performance exceeded our expectations. Like many young actors, I had high hopes when I first started out. The film has certainly lived up to my expectations.· There are no realistic expectations of improvement.
Shares in the company dropped 26p yesterday, as profits fell short of City expectations. He had surpassed all our expectations. Some parents have totally unrealistic expectations of teachers.· The Reports were published amidst a general expectation among informed opinion that the Poor Law would indeed be reformed or abolished.· There seems to be a general expectation that the tiny societies will finally disappear in the next 20 years.
· I think that the case is based upon what nowadays would be described as a legitimate expectation of being heard.· Lord Denning M.R. stated that where there was no legitimate expectation of being heard there was no requirement for a hearing.· This legitimate expectation was recognized only in public law and not in private law.· Here the individual might have a legitimate expectation that the licence would be renewed.· He has probably thus created a legitimate expectation that he will continue to apply this policy.
· Sometimes when we project into the future we have a reasonable expectation, based on experience, of what will happen.· Maybe 5-6 was a reasonable expectation.· The need would be to show, against reasonable expectation, that the second did not divert attention from the first.· People have a right to a reasonable expectation of privacy in cellular as in other forms of telephonic conversation.· A profit of £30-50 a session is a reasonable expectation.· Thus a reasonable expectation for the strength of a material would be: which could hardly be much simpler.
NOUN· Female advantage in life expectation is not universal.
VERB· Note how in this case the tremolo creates an expectation of the forcefulness and dynamism which is to follow.· To offer the best was to set a general standard and to create a wider public expectation.· They can thereby create patient expectation of the level of demand that will be serviced.· In Sperber and Wilson's terms, it creates an expectation of optimal relevance.· He has probably thus created a legitimate expectation that he will continue to apply this policy.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► disappoint somebody’s hopes/expectations/plans► match up to somebody’s hopes/expectations/ideals etc
- About seven more years had been added to expectation of life up to 1901, after which the pace accelerated sharply.
- But what of the expectation of life of some one who has reached the age of forty?
- Improvements in expectation of life are slight in the eighteenth century.
- Second, women have a longer expectation of life than men.
- She was given a very short expectation of life by the doctors.
- Still less is it intended to mirror the expectation of life of the deceased or his dependants.
- The plaintiff is aged 30 and has a normal expectation of life.
- When the normal expectation of life is very low, sickness and death are normal hazards.
- A man doing a handstand in the town centre is likely to arouse interest.
- Kennedy and Wilson had both aroused expectations, which had not been fulfilled.
- This extraordinary and highly convoluted story has aroused interest in many quarters from time to time.
- I had high expectations for this book.
- It is possible to be creative while still having high expectations of pupils.
- Parents have such high hopes for their offspring and then they grow up to be a big disappointment.
- Salespeople require goals set for them with maximal clarity and hold high expectations for recognition for their accomplishments.
- There are high hopes for the game around Wearside.
- There is a sense of anticipatory disillusion among those who recall how the high hopes of 1986 were dashed.
- There were a lot of high expectations.
- We had high hopes for television in those early days.
WORD FAMILYnounexpectancyexpectationadjectiveexpectantexpected ≠ unexpectedadverbexpectantlyunexpectedlyverbexpect
1[countable, uncountable] what you think or hope will happenexpectation that For some time he lived with the expectation that he was going to die.in (the) expectation of something Anne left Germany in the expectation of seeing her family again before very long.against/contrary to (all) expectations Against all expectations, getting up at five is actually easier in winter. Having raised expectations (=made people more hopeful), he went on to help only a few people.above/below expectations Profits are below expectations.beyond (somebody’s) expectations Gina has succeeded beyond our expectations. The show exceeded all expectations (=was much better than expected).come/live up to (somebody’s) expectations His performance did not live up to our expectations (=was not as good as we expected). The number of people who attended fell short of expectations (=was lower than expected).2[countable usually plural] a feeling or belief about the way something should be or how someone should behaveexpectation of Women who have high expectations of marriage are often disappointed. Some people have totally unrealistic expectations of both medical and nursing staff.3expectation of life the number of years that someone is likely to live SYN life expectancyCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2adjectiveshigh (=expecting that someone or something will be successful)· Like most parents, we have high expectations for our children.low (=expecting that someone or something will not be very successful)· Their expectations of success were pretty low.great expectations (=very high)· Emigrants sailed to America with great expectations.reasonable expectations (=the expectation that something will probably be successful, but may not be)· It is a difficult operation, but we have reasonable expectations of success.realistic expectations (=the expectation that bad things can happen as well as good things)· The disease is not curable, and patients must have realistic expectations.unreasonable/unrealistic expectations (=expectations that are too high)· I think you had unrealistic expectations of what could be achieved in the time.legitimate expectations law (=expectations based on someone's legal rights)· The men have legitimate expectations of a fair hearing.growing/rising/increased expectations (=becoming higher)· China's economy will grow considerably over the next five years, bringing rising expectations of wealth.general/popular/widespread expectations (=shared by a lot of people)· The general expectation was for married couples to have children.family/parental expectations (=expectations that families or parents have for their children)· Parental expectations for a first child tend to be quite high.social expectations (=relating to what society thinks or expects)· Social expectations of masculine and feminine behaviour changed drastically during the 1960s and '70s.career expectations (=someone's expectations about how well they will do in their job)· People with low self-esteem usually have low career expectations.verbshave expectations (also hold expectations formal)· Many migrant workers had high expectations when they arrived, but not anymore.raise somebody's expectations (=make someone expect more success, money etc)· Having raised expectations, the government failed to live up to its promises.lower somebody's expectations (=make someone expect less success, money etc)· If you can't afford your dream home, you may have to lower your expectations.come up to/live up to somebody's expectations (=be as good as someone hoped or expected)· The match was boring, and didn't live up to our expectations at all.fulfil/satisfy somebody's expectations formal (=be as good as someone hoped or expected)· The band failed to fulfil the fans' expectations.exceed/surpass somebody's expectations (=be or do better than you hoped or expected)· The holiday exceeded our expectations.fall below/fall short of somebody's expectations (=be worse that someone hoped or expected)· Our profits last year fell below expectations.create expectations (=make people expect that something will happen)· The events of the last few weeks have created expectations of an economic recession.confound somebody's expectations (=be different to what someone expected, in a way that surprises or confuses them)· The play totally confounds the audience's expectations.phrasesabove expectations (=higher, better, or more successful than expected)· Economic growth last month was above expectations.below expectations (=lower, worse, or less successful than expected)· Retail sales in December were well below expectations.beyond all expectations (=greater or better than someone expected)· The task took two months to complete, but it was successful far beyond all expectations.against/contrary to expectations (=very different to what someone expected)· Contrary to our expectations, the share price actually increased.