EXPECT

Verb

Infinitive

to expect
Third person singular
expects
Simple past
expected
Past participle
expected
Present participle
expecting

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. Shakespeare

Expecting thy reply. Shakespeare

The Somersetshire or yellow regiment ... was expected to arrive on the following day.

Macaulay.

to consider obligatory or required;
to consider reasonably due;

You are expected to get the task done by the end of next week.

(Obsolete) To wait for; to await.
Let's in, and there expect their coming. Shakespeare

Usage notes

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.

Synonyms

anticipate
look for
await
hope

Derived terms

expectation noun
expected adjective
expecting adjective
unexpected