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expectation
4 dictionary results for: expectation
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
ex·pec·ta·tion       [ek-spek-tey-shuhn] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.the act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.
2.the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.
3.an expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.
4.something expected; a thing looked forward to.
5.Often, expectations. a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.
6.the degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that he will come.
7.Statistics. mathematical expectation.
8.the state of being expected: a large sum of money in expectation.
[Origin: 1530–40; < L expectātiōn- (s. of expectātiō) an awaiting, equiv. to expectāt(us) (ptp. of expectāre to expect) + -iōn- -ion]

—Related forms
ex·pec·ta·tion·al, adjective
ex·pec·ta·tion·ist, noun

—Synonyms 2. expectancy, anticipation; hope, trust.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
ex·pec·ta·tion       (ěk'spěk-tā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
    1. The act of expecting.
    2. Eager anticipation: eyes shining with expectation.
    3. Something expected: a result that did not live up to expectations.
    4. expectations Prospects, especially of success or gain.
    5. The expected value of a random variable.
    6. The mean of a random variable.
  2. The state of being expected.
    1. Something expected: a result that did not live up to expectations.
    2. expectations Prospects, especially of success or gain.
    3. The expected value of a random variable.
    4. The mean of a random variable.
  4. Statistics
    1. The expected value of a random variable.
    2. The mean of a random variable.

ex'pec·ta'tion·al adj.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
expectation

noun
1. belief about (or mental picture of) the future 
2. anticipating with confidence of fulfillment [syn: anticipation] 
3. the feeling that something is about to happen 
4. the sum of the values of a random variable divided by the number of values [syn: arithmetic mean] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Expectation

Ex`pec*ta"tion\n. [L. expectio. exspectio: cf. F. expectation.]

1. The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen. "In expectation of a guest." --Tennyson.

My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him. --Ps. lxii. 5.

2. That which is expected or looked for.

Why our great expectation should be called The seed of woman. --Milton.

3. The prospect of the future; grounds upon which something excellent is expected to happen; prospect of anything good to come, esp. of property or rank.

His magnificent expectations made him, in the opinion of the world, the best match in Europe. --Prescott.

By all men's eyes a youth of expectation. --Otway.

4. The value of any chance (as the prospect of prize or property) which depends upon some contingent event. Expectations are computed for or against the occurrence of the event.

5. (Med.) The leaving of the disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure.

Expectation of life, the mean or average duration of the life individuals after any specified age.

Syn: Anticipation; confidence; trust.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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