expect Definition
ex·pect (ek spekt′, ik-)
transitive verb
- to look for as likely to occur or appear; look forward to; anticipate I expected you sooner
- to look for as due, proper, or necessary to expect a reward
- Informal to suppose; presume; guess
- Obsolete to wait for
Etymology: L expectare, exspectare < ex-, out + spectare, to look, freq. of specere, to see: see spectacle
expect Related Forms
expect Idioms
be expecting
Informal to be pregnant
expect Synonyms
expect
v.
expect Usage Examples
Object
- outcome: Here is an example of the expected outcomes for History at KS3.
- anything: As one would expect, anything conventional - particularly I-Mag - was out the question.
- standard: I shall expect a very high standard from you That was the end of the meeting.
- growth: All sectors expect further growth in business volumes in the third quarter, with business with private customers remaining particularly buoyant.
- reply: If this is not possible we will explain why and give you a date by which you can expect a full reply.
- date: The next expected renewal date for the Partnership Marketing roster is April 2010.
Preposition: that
student: It is expected that students and staff will make reasonable efforts to resolve matters at the outset.
Noun phrase with adjective complement
less: I wouldn't expect anything less than a full refund, and a real effort to find a replacement photographer.
Adjective complement
more: Would not expect more than 2-3 goals maximum per year.
Modifying Another Word
- reasonably: Students can reasonably expect their own rooms to be places where their individual preferences are respected and not ignored.
- normally: For situations, other than medical or last minute computer problems, you are normally expected to submit the request 7 days in advance.
Used with why or when
- when: Explains what GUM clinics are and what can be expected when you visit one.
- that: I don't expect that was in the local press at the time!
Infinitive complement
- attend: Servers are expected to attend Church on a regular basis, whether on the serving schedule or not.
- see: The guards behave with the same cruelty you expect to see from SS officers in lurid second world war movies.
- pay: Expect to pay from £ 9.95 to £ 19.95.
- contribute: Members would be expected to contribute at least 3-4 days per month.
- continue: In the short term at least, the overall upward trend is expected to continue.
- find: Not the first thing you expect to find in a rural village!
Preposition: of
graduate: Like other Music courses at Leeds, the program aims to balance personal exploration and the skills and knowledge expected of a music graduate.
Browse dictionary entries near expect
- ‹ expatriate
- ‹ expatiate
- ‹ expat
- ‹ expansive
- ‹ expansionism
- ‹ expansionary
- ‹ expansion stage
- ‹ expansion bolt
- ‹ expansion
- ‹ expansile
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- expectorant ›
- expectorate ›
- expediency ›
- expedient ›
- expediential ›

