awaited; awaiting; awaits

transitive verb

1
a
: to wait for
We are awaiting his arrival.
await a decision
b
: to remain in abeyance until
a treaty awaiting ratification
2
: to be in store for
He wonders what awaits him next.
3
obsolete : to lie in wait for

intransitive verb

1
: to stay or be in waiting : wait
The nation awaited as Congress debated the issue.
2
: to be in store
… marched … north to civilization where fame and fortune awaited.Tom Marvel
3
obsolete : attend

Examples of await in a Sentence

A crowd of people awaited the train. We're eagerly awaiting his arrival. He was arrested and is now in prison awaiting trial. Her long-awaited new novel is finally being published. The same fate awaits us all.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Still, that would make the gap between Season 1 and 2 two and a half years or more, a not very welcome development for fans who have been awaiting Season 2 premiere date news. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025 McClatchy News reached out to Fashion Nova for comment Jan. 30 and was awaiting a response. Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025 As Hamlin outlines, Kingsley had no patience for the view, prevalent at the time, that suffering arose from natural law and that humanity’s job was to passively await the grace that alone could relieve its pain. Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 29 Jan. 2025 Boise Airport infrastructure The Boise Airport, which is owned and operated by the city, is awaiting reimbursement of about $2.7 million in expenditures through a federal grant, Airport Director Rebecca Hupp told the Statesman. Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for await 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French aweiter, aguaiter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + guaiter to watch — more at wait

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of await was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near await

Cite this Entry

“Await.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/await. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

await

verb
1
: to wait for : expect
await a train
2
: to be ready or waiting for
a reward awaits you

More from Merriam-Webster on await

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