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expectation

Definition of Expectation

(noun) A preconceived idea about how an individual or group should behave.

Expectation Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: ex·pec·ta·tion

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /ek-spek-tAY-shuhn/
  • British English – /ek-spek-tAY-shuhn/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌɛkˌspɛkˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
  • British English – /ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃn/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: expectations
  • Expectations are informed by stereotypes.

Additional Information

Related Terms

Works Consulted

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. 1997. New York: Random House.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Cite the Definition of Expectation

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “expectation.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 16, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/expectation/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

expectation. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/expectation/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “expectation.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/expectation/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“expectation.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/expectation/>.