If you have great expectations, you think something good will come your way, but if keep your expectations low, you won't risk being disappointed. Expectation can also describe something that is supposed to happen, like a teacher whose expectation is that everyone comes to class prepared. She could never measure up to her mother's expectations.

Understanding the Context

The company's results are in line with stock market expectations. The success of our campaign has exceeded our expectations. The concert was brilliant - it lived up to all our expectations. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Hoping and hopefulness appealingly beyond someone's ...

Key Insights

Your expectations are your strong hopes or beliefs that something will happen. Students' expectations were as varied as their expertise. 1. the act or the state of expecting; anticipation. 2.

Final Thoughts

something expected. 3. Often, expectations. a prospect of future benefit or fortune: to have great expectations. 4. the degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that she will come.

5. mathematical expectation. 6. the state of being expected.