expectancy

[ ik-spek-tuhn-see ]

noun

, plural ex·pect·an·cies.

1. the quality or state of expecting; expectation; anticipatory belief or desire.
2. the state of being expected.
3. an object of expectation; something expected.

expectancy

/ ɪkˈspɛktənsɪ /

noun

1. something expected, esp on the basis of a norm or average

   his life expectancy was 30 years

2. anticipation; expectation
3. the prospect of a future interest or possession, esp in property

   an estate in expectancy

Word History and Origins

Origin of expectancy¹

From the Medieval Latin word ex(s)pectantia, dating back to 1590–1600. See expectant, -ancy

Example Sentences

It’s the largest decline in life expectancy for the United States since the early 1940s.

From Science News

The only good news in the new report is that life expectancy typically bounces back quickly, because of the way it is calculated.

From Washington Post

From 1960 to 1980 life expectancy in the United States steadily increased.

From MIT Technology Review

Life expectancy in Ward 8 is 72 — and just 68 in some neighborhoods — Nesbitt said, compared to 89 in more affluent neighborhoods elsewhere in the city.

From Washington Post

Little research on that question existed, so they conducted their own analysis using 67 years of data about unemployment, life expectancy, and death rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Fortune

In Afghanistan, the United States has contributed to increasing life expectancy from 44 years to 61 years.

From The Daily Beast

Other studies have found that professional football players have a life expectancy in the mid-50s.

From The Daily Beast

In the wild, cheetahs have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, according to National Geographic.

From The Daily Beast

Yes, there is a compelling relationship between life expectancy and income here in the U.S. and worldwide.

From The Daily Beast

Keep in mind that the average life expectancy of an American is 78.

From The Daily Beast

It was theatrical: he stood upon the stage, an audience watching him with intent expectancy, wondering upon his decision.

From Project Gutenberg

When she thought that he was there at hand, waiting for her, she grew numb with the intoxication of expectancy.

From Project Gutenberg

Winston nodded as he went on, wondering with a grim expectancy whether Courthorne had returned again.

From Project Gutenberg

There is an air of anxious expectancy about him, with a look of Semitic shrewdness in the long, narrow face.

From Project Gutenberg

And the group rose to its feet; it broke up with little movements and murmurs, in a restrained, dignified expectancy.

From Project Gutenberg