expected; expecting; expects
1
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
2
: to anticipate or look forward to the coming or occurrence of
we expect them any minute now
expected a telephone call
4
archaic
: await
1
: to be pregnant : await the birth of one's child
—used in progressive tenses
she's expecting next month
2
: to look forward
expectedly
adverb
expectedness
noun
Examples of expect in a Sentence
As expected, the election was very close.
It's expected that the new products will be available next month.
Prices are expected to rise.
He's opposed to the new law, as you might expect.
Good things sometimes happen when you least expect them.
I'm expecting a phone call.
The expected delivery date is next month.
He's a teacher who expects hard work from his students.
We expected more from you.
This is not the kind of behavior I expected of you.
Recent Examples on the Web
What to expect: The main feature is the community salt cave, which seats up to eight people.
—
Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Structured as a tax-free spinoff to Comcast shareholders, the transaction is expected to take around a year to complete.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
The prosecutor's race was expected to highlight the countywide races in Michigan's third most populous county, which also is seeing voters supporting former President Donald Trump for another term in the nation's highest office.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
As a college cheerleader, she’s learned to expect nothing more.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for expect 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Mckenzie Rankin, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Structured as a tax-free spinoff to Comcast shareholders, the transaction is expected to take around a year to complete.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
The prosecutor's race was expected to highlight the countywide races in Michigan's third most populous county, which also is seeing voters supporting former President Donald Trump for another term in the nation's highest office.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
As a college cheerleader, she’s learned to expect nothing more.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for expect
Dictionary Entries Near expect
Cite this Entry
“Expect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expect. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expect
verb
ex·pect
ik-ˈspekt 
1
: to believe that something will occur and wait for it to happen
expect rain
expect her home soon
2
: suppose sense 3, think
who do you expect will win?
3
a
: to consider reasonable, due, or necessary
expect an honest day's work
b
: to consider obligated
expected you to pay your debts
Medical Definition
expect
intransitive verb
ex·pect
ik-ˈspekt
: to be pregnant : await the birth of one's child
—used in progressive tenses
she's expecting next month
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