to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of: I expect to read it. I expect him later. She expects that they will come.
to look for with reason or justification: We expect obedience.
Informal. to suppose or surmise; guess: I expect that you are tired from the trip.
to anticipate the birth of (one's child): Paul and Sylvia expect their second very soon.
Idioms for expect
be expecting, to be pregnant: The cat is expecting again.
Origin of expect
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin ex(s)pectāre “to look out for, await,” equivalent to ex- ex-1 + spectāre “to look at,” frequentative of specere; see spectacle
synonym study for expect
1. Expect,anticipate,hope,await all imply looking to some future event. Expect implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur: to expect a visit from a friend.Anticipate is to look forward to an event and even to picture it: Do you anticipate trouble?Hope implies a wish that an event may take place and an expectation that it will: to hope for the best.Await ( wait for ) implies being alert and ready, whether for good or evil: to await news after a cyclone.
usage note for expect
3. This sense of expect ( I expect you went with them. I expect you want to leave now. ) is encountered in the speech of educated people but seldom in their writing.
ex·pect·er,nounex·pect·ing·ly,adverbo·ver·ex·pect,verbpre·ex·pect,verb (used with object)un·ex·pect·a·ble,adjectiveun·ex·pect·a·bly,adverbun·ex·pect·ing,adjectiveun·ex·pect·ing·ly,adverb
Words nearby expect
ex parte, expat, expatiate, expatriate, expatriation, expect, expectancy, expectant, expectation, expectation of life, Expectation Sunday
Lawmakers are expected to be in Washington until the start of October, after which they are scheduled to return to their home districts for the last weeks of the campaign season.
Election live updates: Trump returns to Wisconsin; Biden to face live audience at town hall|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
She is expected to continue in her role next year, if Democrats retain control the House.
Trump moves closer to Pelosi in economic aid talks, and House speaker must decide next move|Rachael Bade, Erica Werner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Biden’s team is going after a population that is generally more averse to in-person interactions and more of his supporters are expected to cast ballots over the next month, either by mail or through early voting.
Trump and his campaign try to allay concerns about trailing Biden in television ads|Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Even in states that haven’t made absentee voting easier, the number of ballot requests is still expected to spike.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting|Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Redfield told the panel he expected a vaccine to start being available in November or December.
Top health official says states need about $6 billion from Congress to distribute coronavirus vaccine|Lena H. Sun|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
The resources were what you might expect: Dining room, a media center, a library, a TV room, a meeting room, a computer room.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Plus, expect outside players to take actions related to the conflict.
In the Middle East, the Two-State Solution Is Dead|Dean Obeidallah|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The relationships, and motivations of their chief participants, are as tangled and shady as you expect of the super-rich.
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You expect soldiers of all ranks to understand the need to respect the chain of command, regardless of personal feelings.
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The name that most Republicans seem both to expect and dread to consider running is Vito Fossella.
The Felon Who Wouldn’t Leave Congress|Ben Jacobs, David Freedlander|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, this is nothing more than what its geographical position leads us to expect.
The Natural History of the Varieties of Man|Robert Gordon Latham
I was at a loss to know whether he was the prince or not, but he seemed to expect me.
The Knickerbocker, Vol. 10, No. 3, September 1837|Various
I expect that twenty-one of her girls have refused John Gesner, laughed Mr. Wadsworth.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater
If a man will not pay his store bills you cannot expect him to pay his doctor.
How to Collect a Doctor Bill|Frank P. Davis
We may expect wisdom in the choice of the human agents we select.
Among the Forces|Henry White Warren
British Dictionary definitions for expect
expect
/ (ɪkˈspɛkt) /
verb(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
to regard as probable or likely; anticipatehe expects to win
to look forward to or be waiting forwe expect good news today
to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; requirethe boss expects us to work late today
See also expecting
Derived forms of expect
expectable, adjectiveexpectably, adverb
Word Origin for expect
C16: from Latin exspectāre to watch for, from spectāre to look at