Expect

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈspɛkt/

Definitions

1. to believe that something will happen or that someone will do something in the future
2. to regard a future occurrence as likely or as a requirement following some conditions or events
3. to anticipate the occurrence of an event or the actions of a person based on prior knowledge or assumptions

Etymology: "Expect" carries the idea of looking outward for something to arrive. It comes from Latin "expectāre," the infinitive of "exspectō," meaning "look out for, await, expect," built from "ex" ("out") and "spectō" ("look at"). The Latin verb is itself a frequentative, a form suggesting repeated or intense looking, of "speciō," meaning "see." So the core image is of peering outward again and again toward something approaching. That sense of watchful waiting explains the modern shift. The word began with the physical act of scanning the horizon for a person or event, and over time it moved from the eyes to the mind: looking out for something became judging it likely to happen. The verb's current meaning, regarding a future event as probable or as a requirement, grows directly from that act of anticipatory watching.

Synonyms: anticipate, await, predict, foresee, hope

Antonyms: doubt, disbelieve, question, deny, reject