1. The act or state of expecting; expectation: Tense with expectancy, I waited for my name to be called.
2. The state of being expected.
3. Something expected.
4. An expected amount calculated on the basis of actuarial data: a life expectancy of 70 years.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.