expectancy

noun

ex·​pec·​tan·​cy ik-ˈspek-tən(t)-sē How to pronounce expectancy (audio)
plural expectancies
1
a
: the act, action, or state of expecting
the strange expectancy that getting on any train gives usJohn Updike
b
: the state of being expected
occurs with an expectancy slightly greater than usual
2
a
: something expected
their belief led to an expectancy
b
: the expected amount (as of the number of years of life) based on statistical probability
life expectancy

Examples of expectancy in a Sentence

that feeling of optimistic expectancy that fills theatergoers as they wait for the curtain to rise
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
California was the second-best state for life expectancy, according to WalletHub. Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2025 As customers grow more accustomed to a constant drumbeat of extraordinary claims of potency, exclusivity and medicinal usefulness — coupled to a significant expectancy bias — the road ahead for the cannabis and hemp industry(ies) meets with a few immediate challenges. Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025 There’s no mileage in Berhalter or anybody else bemoaning expectancy around the camp. Phil Hay, The Athletic, 1 July 2024 Thanks in part to the NHS's failures, Britons are falling behind on metrics from life expectancy to infant mortality. Sally Pipes, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for expectancy 

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of expectancy was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near expectancy

Cite this Entry

“Expectancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expectancy. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

expectancy

noun
ex·​pect·​an·​cy
ik-ˈspek-tən-sē
plural expectancies
1
2
: the expected amount (as of years of life) based on statistical probability
life expectancy

Medical Definition

expectancy

noun
ex·​pec·​tan·​cy -ˈspek-tən-sē How to pronounce expectancy (audio)
plural expectancies
: the expected amount (as of the number of years of life) based on statistical probability see life expectancy

Legal Definition

expectancy

noun
ex·​pec·​tan·​cy
plural expectancies
: something expected: as
a
: an interest held by a person who may receive something (as a bequest) in the future but has no enforceable right to it
b
: the benefit that will be received from a contract if performed

More from Merriam-Webster on expectancy

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!