prior expectation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "prior expectation" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing assumptions or beliefs held before an event or situation occurs. For example: "Her prior expectation was that the project would be completed ahead of schedule." Alternative expressions include "previous assumption" and "earlier expectation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

For all predictors for which there was a clear prior expectation, the directions of effects are as expected; for example, the probability that a variant is pathogenic increases with its level of conservation.

Genome Medicine

In our analysis of the ENCODE regions, we choose a prior expectation of 8% of constrained sequences and the expected constrained element size of 12 bp which limit the bases called on bootstrapped AR alignments to<0.5%.

Bioinformatics

Briefly, coverage can be understood as the prior expected proportion of conserved bases in the regions being analyzed, and smoothness as prior expectation of the minimum conserved element length (=1/β).

Bioinformatics

This is greater than its prior expectation of $13 billion, plus or minus $500 million.

TechCrunch

There were no significant effects of either prior expectation of request fulfillment or perceived symptom severity.

Social Science & Medicine

Approximately 40 pMC for the APM of d<1.1 μm was, however, appreciably higher than our prior expectation.

Atmospheric Environment

This formula defines the (user definable) prior expectation of the number of binding sites in a given DNA sequence.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

A productive way forward is to relinquish the prior expectation that sciences must have theories of a certain kind to govern and guide their activity.

SEP

The finding is consistent with prior expectation in that non-exposure bias diminishes as the number of people exposed to the technology in a population increases.

Agricultural and Food Economics

The latter is highly subject to prior expectation, which may or may not be reasonable (either too high or too low).

The Journal of Headache and Pain

European bison were reintroduced in our study area in the 1960s, and against prior expectation, have not spread along the Carpathian ridge, but instead expanded their range towards human settlements.

Biological Conservation

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "prior expectation", ensure it accurately reflects a belief or assumption held before an event or observation, not after. Clarity in timing is crucial.

Common error

Avoid using "prior expectation" when you actually mean a desired outcome without any factual basis. "Prior expectation" implies a reasoned anticipation, not just a hope.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior expectation" functions as a noun phrase, often acting as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes a belief or anticipation held before an event or observation. As indicated by Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

80%

News & Media

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "prior expectation" is a grammatically sound and frequently used noun phrase, particularly within scientific and formal contexts. It serves to indicate a pre-existing belief or assumption. Ludwig AI analysis confirms its proper usage across a broad range of sources. When employing this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects an anticipation held before an event. Alternatives like "initial assumption" or "preconceived notion" can be used to add nuance, but "prior expectation" remains a clear and effective choice for many situations. The phrase demonstrates a common concept used in statistics, research, and personal experiences and its use can bring clarity to the topic discussed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

preliminary anticipation

Replaces 'expectation' with 'anticipation' and adds 'preliminary' for emphasis.

initial assumption

Focuses on the starting point of belief, rather than the anticipation itself.

preconceived notion

Emphasizes a formed opinion, possibly without sufficient evidence.

baseline belief

Highlights the foundational aspect of the belief, lacking the predictive sense.

original hypothesis

Suited for scientific contexts, focusing on a testable statement.

early prediction

Highlights the predictive aspect, useful when focusing on forecasting.

antecedent outlook

Uses more formal synonyms to convey a similar meaning.

provisional understanding

Suggests a belief held temporarily before further information is available.

initial assessment

Focuses on the evaluative aspect that forms before an event.

starting premise

Emphasizes the role of the belief as a foundation for reasoning.

FAQs

How can I use "prior expectation" in a sentence?

You can use "prior expectation" to describe a belief or assumption held before an event. For example, "Contrary to our "prior expectation", the results showed a different outcome."

What's a simpler way to say "prior expectation"?

Alternatives include "initial assumption", "preconceived notion", or "baseline belief", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it always necessary to explicitly state a "prior expectation" in research?

While not always mandatory, stating your "prior expectation" helps clarify your research process and allows readers to understand how your initial assumptions might have influenced your interpretation of the results. It enhances transparency and rigor.

How does "prior expectation" relate to Bayesian statistics?

In Bayesian statistics, "prior expectation" refers to the prior probability distribution, which represents your initial beliefs about a parameter before observing any data. It's then updated with observed data to form a posterior distribution.