What is the Latin word for expectation?

The usual Latin words for “expectation” are exspectātiō, spēs, opīniō; also dēsīderium, commoveō, concitō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“expectation” in Latin

exspectātiōexpectation, waiting; suspense spēshope (belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen); expectation, anticipation; apprehension opīniōopinion, conjecture, imagination, fancy, belief, expectation; reputation, esteem; report, rumor dēsīderiumlonging, desire, wish (especially for something once possessed); grief, regret (desire for something lost); need, necess commoveōto move something in violent motion, move; shake, stir, shift, agitate; to remove something from somewhere, carry away, concitōto rush; to rouse up, agitate, move violently, stir up, excite, disturb; to spur, impel, incite

The English word expectation itself goes back to Latin spectō, through exspectātiō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

expectation

exspectatio: spes: opinio (hope, opinion, that anything will happen, etc.; respecting opinio, Vid: Herz., Caes., B.G., 5, 48, in.): intense expectation, summa rerum exspectatio: eager expectation, desiderium: to cause expectation, exspectationem movere, commovere, facere, concitare: to excite anybody’s expectation, alicujus exspectationem erigere (Plin., Ep. 8, 3, 3); aliquem exspectatione erigere (Liv. 36, 34): to excite the most eager expectation, aliquem ad summam adducere exspectationem: to answer or satisfy one’s expectation, exspectationem explere, complere, tueri; exspectationi respondere: to deceive, or not to answer or satisfy expectation, exspectationem decipere, destituere, frustrari: to exceed expectation, vincere alicujus exspectationem or opinionem: to have great expectation from anybody, magnam spem in aliquo ponere or collocare: a person has great expectation from anybody, non parvam aliquis sustinet exspectationem: to be in anxious expectation of anything, animo (animi) pendere alicujus rei: to put anybody in a state of anxious expectation, aliquem suspendere exspectatione: to be in painful expectation, exspectatione torqueri or cruciari; exspectando exedi (Plaut., Epid., 3, 1, 1): full of expectation, plenus exspectatione; animi (or animo) pendens; erectus exspectatione or in exspectationem (or erecta exspectatione); also, from context, erectus only: full of anxious expectation, erectus suspensusque (Vid: Liv., 1, 25): to be full of expectation, exspectatione plenum esse; pendere exspectatione or spe animi: contrary to expectation, praeter or contra exspectationem or opinionem; praeter spem alicujus: a thing fell or turned out contrary to all expectation, res praeter opinionem cecidit; aliter cecidit res ac putabam; evenit aliquid praeter spem; res aliter ac ratus eram evenit.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for expectation?: The usual Latin words for “expectation” are exspectātiō, spēs, opīniō; also dēsīderium, commoveō, concitō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.