erwartende

Erwartende is a German term formed from the verb erwarten (to expect) and is used mainly as an attributive present participle functioning as an adjective, or as a nominalized form meaning a person who expects. The core sense is “someone or something that is expected” or “awaited.”

As an attributive adjective, erwatende takes the usual German adjective endings and agrees with the noun it modifies. Examples include das erwartende Ergebnis (the expected result), die erwarteten Ergebnisse (the expected results), and ein erwartendes Ergebnis (an expected result). The form erwatende can also appear before feminine or plural nouns, such as eine erwartende Lieferung (an expected delivery) or die erwartende Kundschaft (the expecting/waiting clientele), depending on gender and number.

As a noun, Erwartende (capitalized) can be used in the sense of a person who expects. The standard nominalized forms are Der Erwartende (masculine), Die Erwartende (feminine), and Die Erwartenden (plural). Example: Unter den Teilnehmern befanden sich mehrere Erwartende, die auf die Ergebnisse warteten.

Usage notes and nuance: erwartet wird oft im Sinne von “expected” in the sense of anticipation or prediction, as in zu erwartende Ergebnisse (results to be expected/anticipated) or die erwarteten Lieferungen. The present participle form emphasizes ongoing anticipation, while the related term Erwartung (expectation) expresses the concept more abstractly. In everyday language, erwatende is common in written and formal contexts, especially in technical or journalistic styles.

See also: erwarten, Erwartung, erwartungsvoll, zu erwartende Ergebnisse.

References: standard German grammar and dictionaries define the present participle as erwatend/erwartend and its adjectival and nominal uses as described here.