expectation
/ˌekspekˈteɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌekspekˈteɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shən ik-/ (ame, mw)
expectation — noun
1. the pleasant feeling of looking forward to something good happening in the futur
the pleasant feeling of looking forward to something good happening in the future, with confidence that it will come.
Sumin's family had high expectations for her graduation day.
collocation: high expectations for
A crowd of supporters gathered at the airport with great expectations of victory.
plural form + great expectations
Despite the long illness, the family never lost their expectation that Layla would recover.
The children's faces were full of expectation as they unwrapped the presents.
- hope
more personal and emotional; expectation implies stronger certainty
- anticipation
focuses on the act of looking forward rather than the feeling of confidence
- optimism
a general tendency to expect good things; broader than a single expectation
文法句型
expectation of + noun
expectation that + clause
用法筆記
In this sense, the plural form 'expectations' is very common and often carries the same meaning — 'high hopes' — rather than referring to multiple specific items.
常見錯誤
2. a conviction, based on available information, that a specific event is likely to
a conviction, based on available information, that a specific event is likely to take place.
Meera checked the mailbox every day in expectation of a reply from the university.
in expectation of — fixed prepositional phrase
The expectation that interest rates would rise caused many people to sell their shares early.
expectation that + clause (anticipatory it structure)
Kevin had no expectation that the meeting would be canceled.
The army moved troops to the border in expectation of further conflict.
Contrary to all expectations, the small team won the first prize.
- anticipation
stronger focus on the mental preparation for an event
- prediction
more formal and specific; often based on data or expertise
- assumption
something accepted as true without firm evidence
- surprise
an unexpected event; the opposite of what was expected
文法句型
expectation of + noun
expectation that + clause
in expectation of + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Frequently used in the fixed phrase 'in expectation of' (preposition + noun/gerund) to express the reason for an action. The plural 'expectations' can be used with 'contrary to' or 'against' to describe an outcome that differs from what people believed would happen.
常見錯誤
❌ 'We cancelled the trip in expectation of a storm.' → This is correct — but learners often add 'the' after 'of': ❌ 'in expectation of the storm' when speaking generally.
3. an idea held by a person or group concerning the way things ought to be done or
an idea held by a person or group concerning the way things ought to be done or the level of quality people should reach.
The school has clear expectations for how students treat one another.
expectations for + how-clause
Asher felt the performance fell short of the audience's expectations.
collocation: fall short of expectations
Sari's parents had very high expectations of her academic results.
Cultural expectations about marriage differ widely between generations.
There is an expectation that library users will return books on time.
- standard
a measurable level of quality; more factual and less emotional
- requirement
something mandatory rather than hoped for
- norm
what is typical or usual in a group rather than what is demanded
- exception
a case that does not follow the expected rule
文法句型
expectations of + noun (person/institution)
expectation that + clause (behavioural norm)
用法筆記
This sense is almost always plural when referring to social or institutional norms. Singular is rarer and typically used with 'there is an expectation that...' to state a general rule. The verbs commonly used with this sense include: 'meet', 'exceed', 'fall short of', 'live up to', and 'lower'.
常見錯誤
4. the strategy of telling people not to expect too much so that a negative outcome
the strategy of telling people not to expect too much so that a negative outcome does not upset them, and a positive one feels like a bonus.
The coach tried to lower expectations before the match against the stronger team.
collocation: lower expectations
By managing expectations carefully, the startup avoided disappointing its early investors.
managing expectations — common business collocation
Gabriel advised his staff to keep expectations low for the quarterly results.
Realistic expectations about the housing market helped buyers make wiser decisions.
- realism
focus on what is practically achievable rather than on deliberately setting low targets
- overpromising
raising expectations beyond what is realistic
文法句型
lower/manage/keep down + expectations
用法筆記
This is a derived usage tied to the idiom 'manage expectations' (or 'lower expectations', 'temper expectations'). The verbs 'manage', 'lower', 'temper', and 'keep down' are the most common collocates. Unlike other senses, this one always refers to the deliberate strategy of keeping hopes modest.
5. in probability theory and statistics, the average value you expect to obtain fro
in probability theory and statistics, the average value you expect to obtain from an experiment if you repeat it many times, calculated by multiplying each possible outcome by its probability and summing the results.
The expectation of a fair six-sided dice roll is 3.5.
simple example: expectation of a dice roll
Rin checked the expectation of the raffle before buying a ticket.
applied use: expectation in a raffle decision
Mathieu calculated the expectation of the lottery game to see if it was worth playing.
The insurance firm used expectation to set the yearly premium for each driver.
- expected value
more common term in everyday statistics; fully interchangeable
- mean
broader term; can refer to any average, not just probability-weighted
文法句型
expectation of + noun (variable)
expectation that + clause
用法筆記
In mathematics, this term is interchangeable with 'expected value' and 'mean'. It is a formal concept and rarely appears in everyday conversation. The synonym 'expected value' is more common in applied contexts such as gambling and finance.