Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Expectation has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
belief about (or mental picture of) the future
"Her expectation was that she would soon find a new job after graduation."
anticipating with confidence of fulfillment
"After years of consistent savings, she held an expectation that her retirement fund would cover all future expenses."
the feeling that something is about to happen
"The team felt a rising expectation that their favorite player would score in the final minute."
the sum of the values of a random variable divided by the number of values
"In probability theory, the expectation is calculated as the sum of all possible outcomes multiplied by their respective probabilities, not simply divided by the number of values."
The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
"The crowd's collective expectation reached a fever pitch just before the fireworks display began."
In plain English: An expectation is something you think will definitely happen based on what usually occurs before it.
"Everyone had high expectations for the new movie to be released tonight."
Usage: An expectation refers specifically to the belief that something will occur, often based on prior knowledge or social norms rather than mere hope. Use this term when describing a predicted outcome that people anticipate with confidence, distinguishing it from vague wishes for future events.
The word entered English from the Middle French expectation, which ultimately derives from the Latin verb meaning "to look out for." This borrowing replaced an earlier Old English term with a similar sense of hoping or anticipating something.