- expect
- /Ik'spekt/ verb (T)
1 THINK STH WILL HAPPEN to think that something will happen because it seems likely or has been planned: expect (that): The troops expect the attack will come at dawn. | expect to do sth: The rent was much more than we had expected to pay. | expect sb/sth to do sth: He'd been out celebrating and expected his girlfriend to drive him home. | fully expect (=be completely sure something will happen): Smedley fully expected to be paid for giving me this information. | half expect (=think it is possible that something will happen): I half expected to see her at the party. | as expected (=in the way that was planned): The ascent of the mountain is proceeding as expected. | is (only) to be expected (=used to say that you are not surprised that an unpleasant situation or remark etc has happened or been said): Some resentment of the new baby was only to be expected.2 BE WAITING FOR to believe that someone or something is going to arrive: We're expecting Alison home any minute now. | Snow is expected by the weekend.3 DEMAND to demand that someone does something because it is a duty or seems reasonable: The officer expects complete obedience from his troops. | expect sb to do sth: You can't expect kids to be quiet all the time. | expect a lot/too much of sb (=think someone can do more than perhaps is possible): The school expects a lot of its students.4 WANT STH TO HAPPEN to think it is reasonable that something should happen or exist: A job and somewhere to live - is that too much to expect? | We had expected to be consulted at the very least.5 be expecting if a woman is expecting, she is going to have a baby6 What else can/do you expect? spoken used to say that you are not surprised by something unpleasant or disappointing because it has happened before: Tracey didn't leave a forwarding address, but then what can you expect?7 I expect spoken especially BrE used to introduce or agree with a statement that you think is probably true: I expect Mum will phone tonight. | I expect so: “Do you think Ruth will get to art college?” “Yes, I expect so.”
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.