Adjacent Words

Expect definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EXPECT', v.t. [L. expecto; ex and specto, to look, that is, to reach forward, or to fix the eyes.]
1. To wait for.
The guards,
By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their motion.
[This sense, though often used by Gibbon, seems to be obsolescent.]
2. To look for; to have a previous apprehension of something future, whether good or evil; to entertain at least a slight belief that an event will happen. We expect a visit that has been promised. We expect money will be paid at the time it is due, though we are often disappointed.
Expect, in its legitimate sense, always refers to a future event. The common phrase, I expect it was, is a vulgar as it is improper.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: regard something as probable or likely; "The meteorologists are expecting rain for tomorrow" [syn: expect, anticipate]
2: consider obligatory; request and expect; "We require our secretary to be on time"; "Aren't we asking too much of these children?"; "I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons" [syn: ask, require, expect]
3: look forward to the probable occurrence of; "We were expecting a visit from our relatives"; "She is looking to a promotion"; "he is waiting to be drafted" [syn: expect, look, await, wait]
4: consider reasonable or due; "I'm expecting a full explanation as to why these files were destroyed"
5: look forward to the birth of a child; "She is expecting in March"
6: be pregnant with; "She is bearing his child"; "The are expecting another child in January"; "I am carrying his child" [syn: have a bun in the oven, bear, carry, gestate, expect]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Latin exspectare to look forward to, from ex- + spectare to look at, frequentative of specere to look — more at spy Date: 1560 intransitive verb 1. archaic wait, stay 2. to look forward 3. to be pregnant ; await the birth of one's child — used in progressive tenses <she's expecting next month> transitive verb 1. archaic await 2. to anticipate or look forward to the coming or occurrence of <we expect them any minute now> <expected a telephone call> 3. suppose, think 4. a. to consider probable or certain <expect to be forgiven> <expect that things will improve> b. to consider reasonable, due, or necessary <expected hard work from the students> c. to consider bound in duty or obligated <they expect you to pay your bills> • expectable adjective • expectably adverb • expectedly adverb • expectedness noun Synonyms: expect, hope, look mean to await some occurrence or outcome. expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning <expects to be finished by Tuesday>. hope implies little certainty but suggests confidence or assurance in the possibility that what one desires or longs for will happen <hopes to find a job soon>. look with to, implies assurance that expectations will be fulfilled <looks to a tidy profit from the sale>; with for it implies less assurance and suggests an attitude of expectancy and watchfulness <look for rain when the wind shifts to the northeast>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (often foll. by to + infin., or that + clause) a regard as likely; assume as a future event or occurrence. b (often foll. by of) look for as appropriate or one's due (from a person) (I expect cooperation; expect you to be here; expected better of you). 2 colloq. (often foll. by that + clause) think, suppose (I expect we'll be on time). 3 be shortly to have (a baby) (is expecting twins). Phrases and idioms: be expecting colloq. be pregnant. Derivatives: expectable adj. Etymology: L exspectare (as EX-(1), spectare look, frequent. of specere see)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Expect Ex*pect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Expected; p. pr. & vb. n. Expecting.] [L. expectatum, to look out for, await, expect; ex + out spectare to look at. See Spectacle.] 1. To wait for; to await. [Obs.] Let's in, and there expect their coming. --Shak. 2. To look for (mentally); to look forward to, as to something that is believed to be about to happen or come; to have a previous apprehension of, whether of good or evil; to look for with some confidence; to anticipate; -- often followed by an infinitive, sometimes by a clause (with, or without, that); as, I expect to receive wages; I expect that the troops will be defeated. ``Good: I will expect you.'' --Shak. ``Expecting thy reply.'' --Shak. The Somersetshire or yellow regiment . . . was expected to arrive on the following day. --Macaulay. Syn: To anticipate; look for; await; hope. Usage: To Expect, Think, Believe, Await. Expect is a mental act and has aways a reference to the future, to some coming event; as a person expects to die, or he expects to survive. Think and believe have reference to the past and present, as well as to the future; as I think the mail has arrived; I believe he came home yesterday, that he is he is at home now. There is a not uncommon use of expect, which is a confusion of the two; as, I expect the mail has arrived; I expect he is at home. This misuse should be avoided. Await is a physical or moral act. We await that which, when it comes, will affect us personally. We expect what may, or may not, interest us personally. See Anticipate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Expect Ex*pect", n. Expectation. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Expect Ex*pect", v. t. To wait; to stay. [Obs.] --Sandys.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(expects, expecting, expected) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you expect something to happen, you believe that it will happen. ...a council workman who expects to lose his job in the next few weeks... The talks are expected to continue until tomorrow... Few expected that he would declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the presidency... It is expected that the new owner will change the yacht's name... They expect a gradual improvement in sales of new cars. VERB: V to-inf, V n to-inf, V that, it be V-ed that, V n 2. If you are expecting something or someone, you believe that they will be delivered to you or come to you soon, often because this has been arranged earlier. I wasn't expecting a visitor... We were expecting him home again any day now. VERB: usu cont, V n, V adv n 3. If you expect something, or expect a person to do something, you believe that it is your right to have that thing, or the person's duty to do it for you. He wasn't expecting our hospitality... I do expect to have some time to myself in the evenings... I wasn't expecting you to help... Is this a rational thing to expect of your partner, or not?... She realizes now she expected too much of Helen. VERB: V n, V to-inf, V n to-inf, V n of n, V amount of n 4. If you tell someone not to expect something, you mean that the thing is unlikely to happen as they have planned or imagined, and they should not hope that it will. Don't expect an instant cure... You cannot expect to like all the people you will work with... Don't expect me to come and visit you there. VERB: with brd-neg, V n, V to-inf, V n to-inf 5. If you say that a woman is expecting a baby, or that she is expecting, you mean that she is pregnant. She was expecting another baby... I hear Dawn's expecting again. VERB: only cont, V n, V 6. You say 'I expect' to suggest that a statement is probably correct, or a natural consequence of the present situation, although you have no definite knowledge. (SPOKEN) I expect you can guess what follows... I expect you're tired... 'Will Joe be here at Christmas?'—'I expect so.'... PHRASE: PHR that, PHR so/not

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Await, wait for. 2. Anticipate, look for, look forward to, count upon, reckon upon, calculate upon, rely upon.

Moby Thesaurus

account as, anticipate, apprehend, approach, aspire to, assume, await, bank on, be afraid, be destined, be fated, be imminent, be to be, be to come, believe, come, come on, conceive, conclude, confide, conjecture, consider, contemplate, count, count on, daresay, deduce, deem, demand, desire, divine, draw near, draw on, dread, dream, envisage, envision, esteem, estimate, face, fancy, feel, feel confident, foreknow, foresee, foretell, gather, grant, guess, harbor the hope, have a hunch, have an idea, have an impression, have an inkling, have in mind, have in view, have the idea, hold, hold as, hope, hope against hope, hope and pray, hope for, hope in, hope to God, imagine, infer, judge, keep in view, lean upon, let, let be, lie ahead, live in hopes, look, look for, look forward to, look upon as, loom, maintain, near, need, nurture the hope, opine, plan, plot, predict, prefigure, presume, presuppose, presurmise, project, prophesy, provisionally accept, reckon, reckon on, regard, rely on, repute, require, rest assured, say, sense, set down as, suppose, surmise, suspect, take, take for, take for granted, take it, take to be, think, threaten, trow, trust, understand, view as, wait for, want, ween, wish