expectedly
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɪkspˈɛktɪdlɪ/
US
- /ɪkˈspɛktɪdli/adverb
Description
- as anticipated
- predictably
- in a way that was no surprise
- as anyone thought it would happen
"Expectedly" describes something happening in a way that was easy to predict. It tells you that the result, reaction, or change was no surprise. For example, if a team has been losing all season and then loses again, it happened expectedly. If someone hears bad news and starts to cry, that reaction may seem expectedly human. The word gives a quiet sense that things unfolded the way people thought they would. In everyday English, people often say "as expected" or "predictably" instead, but "expectedly" carries the same basic idea.
"Expectedly" is an adverb meaning in a way that people could reasonably foresee. It marks an action, event, or reaction as predictable rather than surprising. When you use it, you are not just saying that something happened. You are also saying that the outcome made sense based on what was already known.
It can describe outcomes, behavior, or emotional responses that match normal expectations. For example, after a weak earnings report, a company's stock might fall expectedly because investors had already feared bad results. A child might react expectedly to a broken promise by feeling upset or angry. In each case, the word points to the fact that the result followed a pattern people could see coming.
"Expectedly" is not about causing an event. It is about recognizing that the event happened in the usual or likely way. It is also a fairly uncommon word in modern everyday English. Native speakers more often choose phrases like "as expected," "naturally," or "predictably." Still, "expectedly" is understandable and can sound slightly formal or literary.
You would not normally use it for something shocking, random, or hard to explain. In those cases, words like "surprisingly" or "unexpectedly" would fit better. So if something happens just about the way common sense, experience, or earlier signs suggested, "expectedly" can describe it, though in many real sentences, "as expected" will sound more natural.
Examples
- 1
Everyday result
Quite expectedly, nobody wanted to sit outside in the cold rain.
Usage
expectedly is formal; many speakers would more often say "as expected"
- 2
Ticket sales
Expectedly enough, the cheaper tickets sold out first.
- 3
Public criticism
The minister refused to answer the question and, expectedly, faced criticism the next day.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- expectedlyadverb