expectancies

noun

plural of expectancy
as in anticipations
the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence that feeling of optimistic expectancy that fills theatergoers as they wait for the curtain to rise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectancies
  1. anticipations
  2. expectations
Noun
  • Expectations of rate cuts at central banks like the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have fallen, and in many cases been replaced by anticipations of hawkish monetary policy, sending yields on some European bonds to multi-decade highs.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
  • For traders focused on specific events, having a strong grasp of historical trends can be beneficial, although the results are largely contingent on how the company’s outcomes measure up to market anticipations.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Definition of anticipations
Noun
  • Rising earnings expectations can offset the higher discount rates demanded by higher yields.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • City officials say this boosts transparency, sets reasonable expectations and may deter people from repeatedly issuing the same complaint.
    — Point Loma-Ob Monthly, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of expectations
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

expectances
expectancies
expectancy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Expectancies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectancies. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All