expected

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•pect /ɪkˈspɛkt/   v. [~ + object]

1. • to anticipate the occurrence or the coming of:
     We are expecting fifty guests.
   • [not: be + ~-ing] to believe or think: [~ + (that) clause]
     We expect that fifty guests will come.
     [~ + object + to + verb]
     We expect fifty guests to come to the party.
     [~ + to + verb]
     I expect to get there on time.
2. Informal. to suppose;
   guess;
   presume:
   [not: be + ~-ing* usually: I + ~;

   ~ + clause]

   I expect you know who I'm talking about.

Idioms

3. Idioms be expecting, to be pregnant:
   She's expecting and is due to give birth in August.

See -spec-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•pect  (ik spekt′), v.t. 

1. 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.
2. to look for with reason or justification:
   We expect obedience.
3. Informal Terms to suppose or surmise;
   guess:
   I expect that you are tired from the trip.
4. to anticipate the birth of (one's child):
   Paul and Sylvia expect their second very soon.

v.i. 

5. Idioms be expecting, to be pregnant:
   The cat is expecting again.

• Latin ex(s)pectāre to look out for, await, equivalent. to ex- ex-¹ + spectāre to look at, frequentative of specere; see spectacle
• 1550–60

ex•pect′a•ble, adj. 
ex•pect′a•bly, adv. 
ex•pect′ed•ly, adv. 
ex•pect′ed•ness, n. 
ex•pect′er, n. 
ex•pect′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 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

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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

expect / ɪkˈspɛkt/ verb (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive)

1. to regard as probable or likely; anticipate
2. to look forward to or be waiting for
3. to decide that (something) is requisite or necessary; require: the boss expects us to work late today

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin exspectāre to watch for, from spectāre to look at

exˈpectable adjective