Advertisement

Origin and history of expect

expect(v.)

1550s, "wait, defer action," from Latin expectare/exspectare "await, look out for; desire, hope, long for, anticipate; look for with anticipation," from ex- "thoroughly" (see ex-) + spectare "to look," frequentative of specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe").

The figurative sense of "anticipate, look forward to" developed in Latin and is attested in English from c. 1600. Also from c. 1600 as "regard as about to happen." Meaning "count upon (to do something), trust or rely on" is from 1630s. Used since 1817 as a euphemism for "be pregnant." In the sense "suppose, reckon, suspect," it is attested from 1640s but was regarded as a New England provincialism. Related: Expected; expecting.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to expect

anticipate(v.)

1530s, "to cause to happen sooner," a back-formation from anticipation, or else from Latin anticipatus, past participle of anticipare "take (care of) ahead of time," literally "taking into possession beforehand," from anti, an old form of ante "before" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before") + capere "to take" (from PIE root *kap- "to grasp").

Later "prevent or preclude by prior action" (c. 1600) and "be aware of (something) coming at a future time" (1640s). Used in the sense of "expect, look forward to" since 1749, but anticipate has an element of "prepare for, forestall" that, etymologically, should prevent its being used as a synonym for expect. Related: Anticipated; anticipating.

expectancy(n.)

"act or state of expecting; anticipatory belief or desire," 1590s, from Medieval Latin expectantia, from Latin expectans/exspectans (present participle of expectare/exspectare "await, desire, hope;" see expect) + -ancy. Related: Expectance.

Advertisement

More to explore

expectant
"having expectation, looking forward to (something) with confidence," late 14c., expectant/expectaunt, from Old French expectant or directly from Latin expectantem/exspectantem (nominative expectans/exspectans), present participle of expectare/exspectare "await, desire, hope" (se
expectation
1530s, "state or condition of waiting or awaiting with confident anticipation," from French expectation (14c.) or directly from Latin expectationem/exspectationem (nominative expectatio/exspectatio) "anticipation, an awaiting," noun of action from past-participle stem of expectar
ask
Middle English asken, from Old English ascian "ask, call for an answer; make a request," earlier ahsian, from Proto-Germanic *aiskojanan (source also of Old Saxon escon, Old Frisian askia "request, demand, ask," Middle Dutch eiscen, Dutch eisen "to ask, demand," Old High German e
desire
"wish, desire, long for," from Latin desiderare "long for, wish for; demand, expect," the original sense perhaps being "await...
promise
Meaning "afford reason to expect" is from 1590s. Related: Promised; promising....
attendance
archaic), from Old French atendance "attention, wait, hope, expectation," from atendant, present participle of atendre "expect...
ward
"to guard," Old Frisian wardia, Middle Dutch waerden "to take care of," Old High German warten "to guard, look out for, expect...
hypothecate
1680s, "pledge (something) without giving up control of it; pawn; mortgage," from hypothecat-, past-participle stem of Medieval Latin hypothecare, from Late Latin hypotheca "a pledge," from Greek hypothēkē "a deposit, pledge, mortgage," from hypo- "beneath, under" (see hypo-) + t
opine
mid-15c., opinen, "express an opinion or opinions; to think, suppose," also transitive, "be of the opinion that," from Old French oppiner, opiner (15c.) and directly from Latin opinari "have an opinion, be of opinion, suppose, conjecture, think, judge," which is of unknown origin
guess
c. 1300, gessen "to infer from observation, perceive, find out; form an opinion, judge, decide, discern; evaluate, estimate the number, importance, etc. of," perhaps from Scandinavian (compare Middle Danish gitse, getze "to guess," Old Norse geta "guess, get"), or from or influen

Share expect

Advertisement
Trending
Dictionary entries near expect
Advertisement