expect
/ɪkˈspɛkt/
verb
Origin
Latin
expectare — to look out for, await
Overview
Meaning Now
- To regard something as likely to happen.
- To require something as an obligation or necessity.
Literal older meaning
to look out
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
expectare
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'expectare', a combination of 'ex-' (out) and 'spectare' (to look). It entered English during the Renaissance, reflecting the period's interest in Latinate vocabulary. Over time, the sense shifted from a physical act of 'looking out' to the mental state of anticipating future events.
Evolution
- Latin
exspectare
“to look out, wait for”
- Late Latin
expectare
“to look out, wait for”
- 16th century English
expect
“to await, to look forward to”
borrowed from Latin expectare
Connections
Word parts
ex-
prefix
out
spect-
root
to look
-are
ending
infinitive suffix
Related across languages
French
attendre
to wait
Spanish
esperar
to hope/to wait
Explore next
Related to expect
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.