Every expected synonym does a narrower job than the original: anticipated and predicted for forecasts, due and scheduled for plans, likely for odds, and normal for what usually happens.
Because expected doubles as a form of the verb expect, it can add a sense of duty: staff are expected to arrive on time. That meaning needs words like required or supposed. Mixing up the senses is the most common reason a swap sounds wrong, so every meaning is handled separately below.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
anticipated, predicted, likely, duePart of speech
Adjective; past tense and past participle of expectMost formal
anticipated, projected, customaryMost casual
on the cards, bound to, no surpriseMost certain
inevitable, unavoidable, assuredAntonyms
unexpected, unforeseen, surprisingWatch out
Hoped for is not the same as expected. You can hope for a raise without expecting one.
Every expected synonym, split into five senses
| Sense | Swaps | Before and after |
|---|---|---|
| Forecast | anticipated, predicted, projected | expected growth becomes projected growth |
| Timed or planned | due, scheduled, slated | the expected delivery becomes the scheduled delivery |
| Normal | usual, typical, predictable | the expected result becomes the predictable result |
| Required | required, supposed, obligatory | you are expected to sign becomes you are required to sign |
| Sure to come | inevitable, certain | an expected decline becomes an inevitable decline |
Probable to certain: the confidence strip
Those five chips up top track how sure the speaker is. Likely says the odds favor it. Probable says much the same in a firmer, more formal voice. Predicted points to someone making a forecast, often with data. Scheduled means it is on the calendar. Inevitable means nothing can stop it.
In business writing, the gap between likely and scheduled matters. A client reading "the update is likely on Friday" will plan very differently from one reading "the update is scheduled for Friday."
Swapping expected in emails and reports
- The expected arrival time is noon becomes the estimated arrival time is noon.
- Sales were lower than expected becomes sales fell short of forecasts.
- The baby is expected in May becomes the baby is due in May.
- As expected, the vote passed becomes predictably, the vote passed.
- Guests are expected to dress formally becomes guests are asked to dress formally, which sounds kinder.
- A long-awaited result keeps the sense of expected while adding the wait.
A project update: "The expected cost is higher than expected" repeats itself. "The projected cost is higher than we anticipated" solves the echo and uses two words with clear jobs.
Phrases that replace as expected
As expected is a handy opener, but it gets stale. Try predictably, unsurprisingly, as anticipated, as forecast or, in casual talk, no surprise there. In essays, as the evidence suggested ties the outcome to your argument.
For more than expected, use beyond forecasts, above projections or exceeded expectations. For less than expected, use below forecasts or short of the target.
Lookalikes with a different job
Desired and wanted are about wish, not prediction. Planned means someone chose it, while expected may be outside anyone's control: rain can be expected but not planned. Obvious and evident describe something already clear, not something coming later. Promised adds a commitment that expected lacks.
Writers looking for more adjectives can browse the describing words collection.
Antonyms of expected
The direct opposite is unexpected, and that page lists its own range. Unforeseen is formal and common in contracts (unforeseen costs). Surprising focuses on the reaction. Sudden stresses speed. Unlikely is the opposite in the probability sense.
Compare likely for the probability sense.
- Unforeseen delays pushed the opening back a week.
- A win is unlikely but not impossible.
Frequently asked questions
Anticipated or expected: is there a difference?
They are close. Anticipated is more formal and can suggest looking forward to something, as in a highly anticipated release. Expected is more neutral and simply predicts.
Which word means expected to happen soon?
Imminent and upcoming suit events that are near. Due works when there is a set time, as in the payment is due tomorrow.
How do I say expected in a polite request?
Swap you are expected to for we ask that you or please. "Please arrive by nine" reads friendlier than "you are expected to arrive by nine."
Can I write projected instead of expected?
Yes, for numbers and trends based on data: projected revenue, projected growth. It sounds odd for people or events, like a projected guest.
What does on the cards mean?
It is an informal British phrase meaning likely to happen. American speakers more often say in the cards.
Unexpected aside, what else is opposite to expected?
Unforeseen, unanticipated and surprising are the main ones. Unlikely is the opposite when expected means probable.