anterior
Americanadjective
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situated before or at the front of; fore (opposed to posterior).
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going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier.
events anterior to the outbreak of war.
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Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial.
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(in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body.
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(in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.
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Botany. on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.
adjective
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situated at or towards the front
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earlier in time
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zoology of or near the head end
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botany (of part of a flower or leaf) situated farthest away from the main stem
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anterior
1535–45; < Latin, comparative of ante before, formed on model of posterior
Explanation
The anterior of anything is the front — in humans, it's the area toward the head of the body, opposite of the posterior. Anterior can also refer to something that came before, as in "anterior to the discovery of vaccines." The word anterior is one of those words that are spelled the same in English today as they were in their Latin origins. It still has the same meaning — "former" or "before." You can remember that by remembering that the prefix ante- means "before." Emily Dickinson once wrote, "Love is anterior to life, posterior to death, initial of creation, and the exponent of breath."
Vocabulary lists containing anterior
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: ante, anti
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Before You Know It: Ante
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She made the U.S. women’s national team in 2018 and played junior college ball her freshman year but tore an anterior cruciate ligament.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
When Rodri returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last year, there will have been plenty who wondered whether he would return to the Ballon d'Or-winning levels he had reached at his peak.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Meanwhile, Spurs attacking midfielder Xavi Simons said "the first four days were the worst days of my life" as he recalled the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in April.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
When the doctor opened the knee up he discovered that Boobie had torn the anterior cruciate ligament.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
