The state or quality of expecting something; the act of waiting for or anticipating an outcome.
From the Old French expectance, based on Latin expectare. This is an older form of 'expectancy' that appears in Middle English texts and was common in formal writing through the 18th century.
In medieval legal documents, 'expectance' specifically meant the right to inherit something in the future—like if your uncle promised you his land, you had legal 'expectance.' The word bridges law, psychology, and everyday waiting.
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