[ad. L. expectātiōn-em, n. of action f. exspectāre to EXPECT.]
1. The action of waiting; the action or state of waiting for or awaiting (something). Now only with mixture of sense 2: Expectant waiting.
1550. Bale, Image Both Ch., B iiij. Dilygent Expectacion in the faith of Gods promyses.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. i. 46. [You] haue sate The liue-long day, with patient expectation, To see great Pompey passe the streets of Rome. Ibid. (1605), Lear, IV. iv. 23. Our preparation stands In expectation of them.
c. 1667. South, Serm. Consecration (1697), I. 316. A daily Expectation at the Gate, is the readiest Way to gain admittance into the House.
1675. Bentley, Pref. to Dryden’s Mistaken Husband. This Play was left in Mr. Dryden’s hands many years since…. After Twelve years expectation, Mr. Dryden gave it to the Players.
1721–1800. in Bailey.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxvii. (1856), 221. After another hour of cold expectation, they [Greenland calves] came again.
b. = Expectant method: see EXPECTANT A. 2.
1689. G. Harvey (title), The Art of Curing Diseases by Expectation.
1866. A. Flint, Princ. Med. (1880), 112. The treatment of a disease by expectation consists in watching carefully its progress, and meeting with appropriate measures unfavorable events as they arise.
1884. in Syd. Soc. Lex.
c. attrib., as in expectation-week (see quot.).
1622. Sparrow, Bk. Com. Prayer (1661), 196. Sunday after Ascens. This is called Expectation-week for now the Apostles were … expecting the fulfilling of that promise of our Lord.
2. The action of mentally looking for some one to come, forecasting something to happen, or anticipating something to be received; anticipation; a preconceived idea or opinion with regard to what will take place. Phrases, Against, beyond, contrary to, † out of, etc., expectation.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 42. Expectatioun or loking for the blys of hevin.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 6. If dew successe … shoulde not chaunce according vnto theyr hope & expectation.
1563. Fulke, Meteors (1640), 70 b. Some perchance, would looke that wee … should entreat of … precious stones, which matter though it be out of our purpose … yet seeing it is not out of their expectation.
1563. Golding, Cæsar (1565), 149. When contrarye to theyr expectacion, our enemyes saw vs … return.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. iii. 220. If he do not doat on her vpon this, I wil neuer trust my expectation.
1603. Daniel, Panegyr. King, lxi. Where mens expectations intertaine Hopes of more good.
1736. Butler, Anal., Introd. Wks. 1874, I. 2. Our expectations that others will act so and so in such circumstances.
1767. Gooch, Treat. Wounds, I. 404. Nature, assisted by art, perfected a cure beyond expectation.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, III. xliv. 205. Is it … within the utmost stretch of the most sanguine expectation, that [etc.].
1851. Robertson, Serm., Ser. IV. iii. (1863), I. 22. Their attitude of Expectation—they were waiting for the coming of the Lord.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vi. 301. No accession ever excited higher expectations among a people than that of Henry the Eighth.
b. The looking for something as one’s due (cf. EXPECT 5 b); in pl. what one looks for or requires one’s (mental) demands.
1655. in Nicholas Pap. (1892), II. 225. Though those princes be punctuall in their expectations of compliments of that nature.
c. Supposition with regard to what is present or past. Cf. EXPECT v. 6.
1793. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), III. 548. The expectation that you are always from home prevents my writing to you.
1822. Eliza Nathan, Langreath, III. 88. A fond expectation that the Duke had come in search of her.
3. The state or condition of expecting or mentally looking for something; the mental attitude of one who expects; expectancy. Formerly occas. in pl.
1538. Starkey, England, I. i. 24. In such expectatyon they spend theyr lyfe.
1653. Walton, Angler, i. 11. I am now become so ful of expectation, that [etc.].
1656. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 197. And yet was he degraded before his death, and in hourly expectation of the Hangman.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 782. No fear of worse … would torment me With cruel expectation.
1745. Fortunate Orphan, 235. She is in the highest Expectations.
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), II. 99. Expectation begins to awake in the infant mind.
1827. Pollok, Course T., IX. Upon the tiptoe raised of expectation.
1864. Spectator, 454. Influences … that substitute the flutter of expectation for hope.
4. Ground or warrant for expecting; the condition of being likely, or entitled, to receive or experience something in the future.
1611. Bible, Ps. lxii. 5. My soule, wait thou onely vpon God: for my expectation is from him.
1708. Atterbury, Serm. on Job xxii. 21 (1723), II. vi. 198. To whom can we betake our selves with greater Expectations to succeed in our Addresses?
b. pl. Prospects of inheritance or of profiting by testament.
1669. Lady Chaworth, in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 11. Lord Huntingtons marriage is as good as concluded with Sir James Langhams daughter, who gives 20,000l. downe, besides expectations.
1777. Sheridan, Sch. Scandal, III. iii. I have a rich old uncle. from whom I have the greatest expectations.
1837. Lytton, E. Maltravers, I. 156. O yes; I have what are called expectations!
1861. Dickens (title), Great Expectations.
† c. = EXPECTATIVE B. 2. Obs. rare–1.
1536. Latimer, in 27 Serm. (1562), 9 b. Some brought forth Canonizations, some Expectations, some pluralities and vnions.
5. The state or condition of being expected; only in phrase in expectation.
1657. J. Smith, Myst. Rhet., 251–2. Desire … is a strange countrey … where corn is still in grasse;… and birds alwayes in the shell;… all is there only in expectation.
1785. Reid, Int. Powers, II. xx. 271. Belief of good or ill either present or in expectation.
1832. Webster, s.v., A sum of money in expectation, when an event happens, has a determinate value before that event happens.
† 6. Of (great, etc.) expectation: affording ground for favorable anticipations; promising. Obs.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, I. xii. (1590), 51 b. You … borne so great a Prince, and of so rare, not onely expectation, but proofe.
1605. Verstegan, Dec. Intell., viii. (1628), 246. The worthiest names, were to bee giuen to such as were of worthiest expectation.
1681. Burnet, Hist. Ref., II. 2. That Child [Edward VI.] was so bred, had such Parts, was of such expectation, that he looked like a Miracle of a Man.
7. That which is expected; the object of expectance; a thing expected or looked forward to.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. ii. 36. The hope and expectation of thy time Is ruin’d.
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 379. I understand Why our great expectation should be call’d The seed of Woman.
8. The degree of probability of the occurrence of any contingent event.
1832. Webster, s.v., If the chances of receiving or not receiving a hundred dollars … are equal; then … the expectation is worth half the money.
1838. De Morgan, Ess. Probab., v. (1841), 97. The balance is the average required, and is known by the name of the mathematical expectation.
1848. Wharton, Law Lex., Expectation, in the doctrine of chances, is applied to any contingent event, upon the happening of which some benefit is expected. Ibid. The value of the expectation is … 5l.
b. Expectation of life: (see quots.)
1725. De Moivre, Annuities, Pref. p. iv. The Expectation of Life, is that Duration which may be justly expected from a Life of a given Age.
1796. Hutton, Math. Dict., Expectation of Life is the … number of years of life, which a person of a given age may, upon an equality of chance, expect to enjoy.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 420. The expectation of life among the government annuitants.
