Words / B2

ik-SPEKT-uh-nsee/ɪkˈspektənsi/

Expectancy here is the expected length of a life or of a wait, especially life expectancy: life expectancy; expectancy of. Expectation is the broader “what you think will happen”; wait is everyday. Quote life expectancy in the table, then the year and the cohort. Mix-up: expectancy vs expectation of a gift; expectancy vs expense; do not write expectancy for a hope with no years or waiting time named. A tense hush (a sense of expectancy) is a secondary literary sense — use it only if the source names that mood.

Meaning

The expected length of a life or of a wait, especially life expectancy.

Examples

• “Quote life expectancy in the table, then the year and the cohort, not a slogan.”
• “Wait expectancy featured in the NHS table, which is still a named weeks figure — quote it.”

Good to know

life expectancy; expectancy of. Close: expected lifespan / waiting time. Broader: expectation. Trap: a vague hope / expense. Biology, geography, and citizenship. How long something is expected to last — quote years or weeks and the cohort.

Near in meaning

life expectancy, expected duration, likely wait

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