expectant

E1X8P3E1C3T1A1N1T1
/ɪkˈspɛktənt/

adjective

Marked by expectation.

“an expectant mother”

Similar
anticipantanticipativehopefulbigenceintegravidgreatlarge
OriginOld French expectant ← Latin expectans →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

adjectiveexpectant (comparative more expectant, superlative most expectant)

comparative more expectant · superlative most expectant

  1. Marked by expectation.

    the expectant hush before the performance

  2. Pregnant.

    an expectant mother

    1 more example

    After seeing all the beautiful little wardrobe of the mother expectant, praising her delicate needlework, and inwardly regretting their own inability to add to it, they got a hearty lunch, intended for a dinner, and returned homewards,...

    1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXV, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 18
  3. datedmedicineAwaiting the effects of nature, with little active treatment.
  4. medicineA triage classification for a patient in a mass casualty event with injuries so severe they are unlikely to survive even with maximum medical care.

    Do you agree the patient is expectant, or is there something we can do to save her?

nounexpectant (plural expectants)

plural expectants

  1. A person who expects or awaits something.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivemarked by eager anticipation

Similar
anticipantanticipativehopeful

adjectivein an advanced stage of pregnancy

Similar
bigenceintegravidgreatlargeheavywith childpregnant
Also see
anticipantanticipativebigenceintegravidgreatheavyhopefulknocked uplargepregpreggerspregnant-to-bewith child

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinexpectans
  2. Old Frenchexpectant
  3. Englishexpectant

From Old French expectant, from Latin expectans.

More words from Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian чакащ, очакващ
  • чакащ (čakašt)marked by expectation
  • очакващ (očakvašt)marked by expectation
  • бременна (bremenna)pregnant
Catalan expectant, embarassada
  • expectantmarked by expectation
  • embarassadapregnant
  • en cintapregnant
Danish forventningsfuld, ventende
  • forventningsfuldmarked by expectation
  • ventendepregnant
Dutch in verwachting
  • in verwachtingpregnant
Esperanto atendema
  • atendemapregnant
Finnish odottava, odottava
  • odottavamarked by expectation
  • odottavapregnant
French expectatif
  • expectatifmarked by expectation
German erwartend, erwartungsvoll
  • erwartendmarked by expectation
  • erwartungsvollmarked by expectation
  • schwangerpregnant
  • guter Hoffnungpregnant
Hungarian várandós, anyai örömök elé néző
  • várandóspregnant
  • anyai örömök elé nézőpregnant
Irish tnúthánach
  • tnúthánachmarked by expectation
Italian in dolce attesa
  • in dolce attesapregnant
Māori hapū
  • hapūpregnant
Norwegian ventende
  • ventendepregnant
Norwegian Bokmål forventningsfull
  • forventningsfullmarked by expectation
Russian жду́щий, ожида́ющий
  • жду́щий (ždúščij)marked by expectation
  • ожида́ющий (ožidájuščij)marked by expectation
  • бере́менная (berémennaja)pregnant
  • в положе́нии (v položénii)pregnant
Scottish Gaelic dòchasach, trom
  • dòchasachmarked by expectation
  • trompregnant
  • torrachpregnant
Spanish expectante
  • expectantemarked by expectation
Swedish förväntansfull
  • förväntansfullmarked by expectation
Welsh disgwylgar, gobeithiol
  • disgwylgarmarked by expectation
  • gobeithiolmarked by expectation

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

exceptant
Cite this entry
APA

expectant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expectant

MLA

“expectant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expectant. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “expectant,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/expectant.

Source: expectant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.