espérances

Espérances (the plural of espérance) is a French noun that translates roughly as "hopes" or "expectations" in English. The term covers both general prospects for the future and more specific aspirations. In religious usage, espérance designates the theological virtue of hope, particularly in Christian theology. In mathematics, l'espérance refers to the expected value of a random variable in probability theory, a foundational concept in statistics.

In everyday French, espérances tends to appear in literary or formal contexts. The more common everyday synonym for general hopes is espoirs; espérances can carry a tone of solemnity or breadth, especially when describing large or durable hopes. Uses include phrases such as "avoir des espérances" (to have hopes) or "alimenter des espérances" (to nurture hopes). The plural form can also denote the collective hopes of a group or population, as in "les espérances des citoyens."

Etymology and usage notes: espérances derives from Old French esperance, from Latin spes, with the suffix -ance; it shares a root with the verb espérer ("to hope"). The term has a long presence in literature, religion, and philosophy, where it frequently conveys longing, anticipation, and the balance between risk and possibility. In modern French, espoirs is often preferred in casual speech, while espérances retains a more formal or literary register.