Hope wife is home at the outset (4)
I believe the answer is:
wish
'hope' is the definition.
(I know that hope is a more specific form of the action the wish)
'wife is home at the outset' is the wordplay.
'wife' becomes 'w' (abbreviation).
'at the outset' suggests taking the first letters (the outset is the beginning).
The initial letter of 'home' is 'h'.
'w'+'is'+'h'='WISH'
(Other definitions for wish that I've seen before include "Something desired" , "Want (to do something)" , "prayer" , "Desire, hope" , "whim" .)