awaited

Awaited is the past participle of the verb await, meaning to wait for or to look forward to something. As an adjective, awaited describes something that is expected or eagerly anticipated, often implying patience or significance attached to the event or object.

Etymology: The verb await originates from Middle English awaiten, from Old French attendre “to await, to wait for,” which in turn derives from Latin attendere “to stretch toward” or “to attend.” The form awaited reflects standard English past-participle formation.

Usage: Awaited is commonly used attributively in phrases such as the long-awaited or much-awaited, and predicatively as in “the results were awaited” or “the verdict was awaited.” The verb await is relatively formal compared with wait and typically takes a direct object (e.g., I await your response). In modern prose, awaited items or events are often described to emphasize anticipation or importance.

Notes and related terms: Awaited often conveys patient or ceremonial anticipation and is widely used in journalism, literature, and everyday speech. Related concepts include anticipation, expectancy, and anticipation-related phrases like “highly anticipated.” The word contrasts with unawaited (used to describe something not expected or not waited for) and with synonyms such as expect, anticipate, and look forward to.