What does expectant mean?
Expectant describes a state of eager anticipation — the quality of waiting for something believed to be imminent. An expectant crowd hushes before an announcement; an expectant expression suggests hope held just short of certainty. The word derives from the Latin exspectare, 'to watch for' or 'look out for', linking it to a family of seeing-words such as inspect and spectator; to be expectant is, etymologically, to be on the lookout. Its most familiar modern pairing is with pregnancy: an 'expectant mother' or 'expectant father' is one awaiting the birth of a child. In tone, the word is gently positive, suggesting hope rather than dread, and it sits comfortably in both everyday speech and more formal writing. It functions chiefly as an adjective (with the adverb 'expectantly'), though a rare noun sense — a person who expects or awaits something, such as an heir — survives in older or legal-flavoured prose.
Having or showing eager anticipation that something is about to happen.
"The children gave her an expectant look, hoping she would agree."
Most often appears before nouns describing expressions, crowds, silences, or waits.
Awaiting the birth of a child; pregnant.
"The hospital offers classes for expectant parents."
Nearly always occurs in the phrases 'expectant mother', 'expectant father', or 'expectant parents'.
A person who expects or awaits something, especially an heir awaiting an inheritance.
"The estate was divided among the expectants named in the will."
Rare in modern English; found mainly in legal or literary contexts.
Applies only to the rare noun sense ('a person who awaits'); the adjective form has no plural of its own.
"The corridor filled with expectants waiting for their interviews."
The word 'expectant' carries the same Latin root as 'spectator' — an expectant person is literally someone who has 'looked out' for what's coming.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of expectant
Expectant comes from the Latin present-participle stem of exspectare, meaning 'to look out for, await', formed from ex- ('out') plus spectare ('to watch, look at'), the same root behind spectacle, spectator, and inspect. The word entered English in the early 17th century, borrowed via classical Latin rather than through French. Its cognates include expect and expectation, which share the identical Latin ancestor, making the whole family a study in watching and waiting distilled into language.
Related word forms
How expectant is actually used
'Expectant' carries a warm, hopeful connotation and leans slightly formal or literary in its anticipatory sense; the pregnancy-related use is common and neutral in register, almost always appearing in the fixed phrases 'expectant mother' or 'expectant father'.
Easily confused with expectant
'Expecting' is the colloquial verb form often used to mean pregnant ('she's expecting'), while 'expectant' is an adjective describing anyone in a state of anticipation, including but not limited to parents-to-be.