Meaning & use
expected
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“expected” is a form of “expect”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'expect'; believed that something would happen or that someone would arrive.
Grammar: Used with a direct object or a that-clause: I expected the package. She expected that he would call.
Patterns
- expected something
- expected someone to do something
- expected that ...
We expected rain, so we brought umbrellas.
She expected him to arrive by noon.
They had expected the test to be difficult.
adjectivebefore a noun
Believed or thought likely to happen or to be true; anticipated.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: the expected outcome. It can also follow a linking verb: The delay was expected.
Patterns
- the expected result
- as expected
- be expected to do something
The expected crowd was larger than last year.
As expected, the meeting ran late.
The storm did not cause the expected damage.
Word forms
| third person singular | expects |
|---|---|
| past tense | expected |
| past participle | expected |
| -ing form | expecting |
Common combinations
- as expected
- As expected, she passed the exam with a high score.
- expected result
- The experiment did not produce the expected result.
- longer than expected
- The journey took longer than expected.
- be expected to
- Guests are expected to arrive around eight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anticipated
- More formal; often used for events that people have been waiting for with preparation.
- predicted
- Focuses on a statement or calculation about the future, not just a general belief.
- due
- Used for something scheduled to happen at a particular time, especially arrivals.
Opposites
Word family
- expect verb
- To think that something will happen or that someone will arrive.
- expectation noun
- A belief that something will happen or a standard that you hope someone will meet.
- unexpected adjective
- Not anticipated; surprising.
- expectantly adverb
- In a way that shows you are waiting for something to happen.
Commonly confused: expected or expectant?
expected vs expectant
Expectant means 'hoping for something' or 'pregnant', while expected means 'anticipated'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'As expected' is a fixed phrase meaning 'as was anticipated'. The other options use the wrong form of the word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expected”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.