expectation
/ˌekspekˈteɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌekspekˈteɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌek-ˌspek-ˈtā-shən ik-/ (ame, mw)
expectation — 名詞
1. the pleasant feeling of looking forward to something good happening in the futur
期待；期盼
對未來美好事物的盼望
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.
Sumin 的家人對她的畢業典禮抱有很高的期待。
collocation: high expectations for
A crowd of supporters gathered at the airport with great expectations of victory.
一群支持者帶著勝利的極高期望聚集在機場。
plural form + great expectations
Despite the long illness, the family never lost their expectation that Layla would recover.
儘管 Layla 久病未癒，家人始終沒有放棄她會康復的期盼。
The children's faces were full of expectation as they unwrapped the presents.
孩子們拆禮物時滿臉都是期待。
- 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
預料；預期
相信某事將發生的感覺
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.
Meera 預期會收到大學的回信，每天都會檢查信箱。
in expectation of — fixed prepositional phrase
The expectation that interest rates would rise caused many people to sell their shares early.
利率即將調漲的預期心理，導致許多人提前賣掉持股。
expectation that + clause (anticipatory it structure)
Kevin had no expectation that the meeting would be canceled.
Kevin 完全沒有料到會議會被取消。
The army moved troops to the border in expectation of further conflict.
軍方預期衝突還會持續，因而調動部隊到邊境。
Contrary to all expectations, the small team won the first prize.
出乎所有人的預料，那支小型團隊贏得了首獎。
- 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
期望；要求
對應有行為或品質的標準
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.
該學校對於學生之間應如何相處有明確的規範與期望。
expectations for + how-clause
Asher felt the performance fell short of the audience's expectations.
Asher 覺得表演未能達到觀眾的期望水準。
collocation: fall short of expectations
Sari's parents had very high expectations of her academic results.
Sari 的父母對她的學業成績抱有極高的要求。
Cultural expectations about marriage differ widely between generations.
關於婚姻的社會期望，不同世代之間差異很大。
There is an expectation that library users will return books on time.
圖書館要求使用者按時歸還書籍，這是基本的規定。
- 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
降低期望
事先讓人不抱太高期待以防失望
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.
教練在對上較強球隊的比賽前，試圖降低大家的期望。
collocation: lower expectations
By managing expectations carefully, the startup avoided disappointing its early investors.
這家新創公司小心管理各方期望，避免讓早期投資人失望。
managing expectations — common business collocation
Gabriel advised his staff to keep expectations low for the quarterly results.
Gabriel 建議他的員工對季度財報不要抱持太高期望。
Realistic expectations about the housing market helped buyers make wiser decisions.
對房地產市場抱持務實的期望，幫助買方做出更明智的決策。
- 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
期望值
機率論中重複實驗的平均值
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.
一枚公平的六面骰子，其擲骰期望值是 3.5。
simple example: expectation of a dice roll
Rin checked the expectation of the raffle before buying a ticket.
Rin 在買抽獎券之前先算了一下期望值。
applied use: expectation in a raffle decision
Mathieu calculated the expectation of the lottery game to see if it was worth playing.
Mathieu 算了一下樂透遊戲的期望值，看看是否值得購買。
The insurance firm used expectation to set the yearly premium for each driver.
保險公司利用期望值來計算每位駕駛的年度保費。
- 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.