expectant
/ɪkˈspɛktənt/adjective, noun
expectant is spelled E-X-P-E-C-T-A-N-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, expectant means “Marked by expectation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in expectant?
| Letters | 9: E-X-P-E-C-T-A-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,789th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is expectant?
Expectant appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,789th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce expectant?
- /ɪkˈspɛktənt/
Expectant has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-expectant.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of expectant
- more expectant comparative
- most expectant superlative
- expectants plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does expectant mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Marked by expectation.
the expectant hush before the performance
- 2
Pregnant.
an expectant mother
- 3
datedAwaiting the effects of nature, with little active treatment.
- 4
A triage classification for a patient in a mass casualty event with injuries so severe they are unlikely to survive even with maximum medical care.
do you agree the patient is expectant, or is there something we can do to save her?
noun
- 1
A person who expects or awaits something.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Expectant in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | expectatif |
| German | erwartend, erwartungsvoll , schwanger, guter Hoffnung |
| Spanish | expectante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does expectant come from?
From Old French expectant, from Latin expectans.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).