Expectative

Expectative is an English word used as a noun and an adjective to denote relation to expectation or anticipation. As a noun, it can refer to an expectation, something hoped for, or the act of expecting. As an adjective, it describes something contingent on or characterized by anticipation.

Etymology traces expectative to the Latin exspectatus, from exspectare “to look for, await,” and it entered English through Old French influence. The term is now rare in ordinary speech and tends to appear in older texts, literary usage, or specialized dictionaries. In modern writing, the more common choices are expectation (noun) and expectant (adjective), with expectancy as another closely related noun.

Usage and context: Expectative is predominantly found in historical, legal, or literary contexts and is generally considered archaic outside those domains. In contemporary medical language, the related terms expectant and expectant management are preferred, the latter describing a watchful waiting approach rather than active treatment. In philosophy, psychology, or everyday discourse, speakers typically favor terms such as expectation or anticipated outcomes rather than expectative.

Related terms include expectation, expectancy, and expectant; these forms cover most contemporary uses of anticipation and future outlook. While expectative can be encountered in older or more formal prose, its specialized status means it is unlikely to be understood without context by many modern readers.