Expect
/ɪkˈspɛkt/noun
To regard something as likely to happen or to be the case.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *exspectare*, and the core idea is not passive hope but active watching—like scanning the horizon for a sign, omen, or arrival.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to look, observe, spy”
Latin
Latin
specere
“to look at, behold”
Latin
Latin
exspectare
“to look out for, await, wait for”
Old French
Old French
expecter
“to await, anticipate”
Middle English
English
expecten
“to look for, anticipate”
Modern English
English
expect
“to regard as likely or probable”