anterior

American  

[an-teer-ee-er] / ænˈtɪər i ər /

adjective

1. situated before or at the front of; fore (posterior ).

2. going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier.

   events anterior to the outbreak of war.

3. Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial.

4. (in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body.

5. (in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.

6. Botany. on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.

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anterior British  

/ ænˌtɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ, ænˈtɪərɪə /

adjective

1. situated at or towards the front

2. earlier in time

3. zoology of or near the head end

4. botany (of part of a flower or leaf) situated farthest away from the main stem

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Other Word Forms

• anteriority noun
• anteriorly adverb
• nonanterior adjective

Etymology

Origin of anterior

1535–45; < Latin, comparative of ante before, formed on model of posterior

Example Sentences

The Chiefs' defeat was compounded by an injury to back-up quarterback Gardner Minshew, who exited in the second quarter with what reports said was a possible anterior cruciate ligament tear.

From Barron's

The brain’s conflict detector, the anterior cingulate cortex, activates in uncertainty.

From MarketWatch

Defender Levi Colwill, who shone at the Club World Cup, is out for most of the season with an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury, and Maresca's request for a replacement fell on deaf ears.

From BBC

It didn’t take long for Kansas City to confirm that Mahomes had torn his anterior cruciate ligament on the play.

From The Wall Street Journal

Agyemang, who has been on loan at Brighton from Arsenal since September 2024, ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament playing for the Lionesses in October.

From BBC