DIMENSIONS: EVALUATION / Perspective
R E F E R E N C E S
Expectation n. 1. the act of expecting. 2. the state of expecting: to wait in expectation. 3. an expectant mental attitude. 4. something expected: a thing looked forward to. 5. Often, expectations. a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations. 6. the degree of probability of the occurrrence of something: there is little expectation that he will win. 7. Statistics. See mathematical expectation. 8. the state of being expected. [< L expctátión- (s. of expctátió] an awaiting = expectát(us) (ptp. of expectáre to EXPECT] + -ión- -ION]
-Syn. 2. expectancy, anticipation, hope, trust.
Expect v.t. 1. to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurence or the coming of: to expect guests; to expect a hurricane. 2. to look for with reason or justification: We expect obedience. 3. Informal, to suppose or surmise: I expect that you are tired from the trip. -v.i. 4. to be pregneant. [< L ex(s) pect(áre) (to) lookout for, await = ex- EX1 + spectáre to look at; see Spectacle] -Syn. 1. Expect, Anticipate 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?
Expectancy n. 1. the quality or state of expecting; expectation; anticipatory belief or desire. 2. the state of being expected. 23. an object of expectation; something expected . . .
[Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House, 1968.]
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