anticipate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee.
to anticipate pleasure.
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to expect; look forward to; be sure of.
to anticipate a favorable decision.
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to perform (an action) before another has had time to act.
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to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made.
He anticipated each of my orders.
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to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance.
to anticipate a military attack.
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to consider or mention before the proper time.
to anticipate more difficult questions.
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to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc..
Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.
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Finance.
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to expend (funds) before they are legitimately available for use.
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to discharge (an obligation) before it is due.
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verb (used without object)
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to foresee and act in advance of
he anticipated the fall in value by selling early
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to thwart by acting in advance of; forestall
I anticipated his punch by moving out of reach
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(also intr) to mention (something) before its proper time
don't anticipate the climax of the story
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(may take a clause as object) to regard as likely; expect; foresee
he anticipated that it would happen
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to make use of in advance of possession
he anticipated his salary in buying a house
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to pay (a bill, etc) before it falls due
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to cause to happen sooner
the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire
Usage
Despite claims that anticipate should only be used to mean “to perform (an action) or respond to (a question, etc.) in advance” or “to forestall,” it has been used widely since the 18th century as a synonym for expect, often with an implication of pleasure: We anticipate a large turnout at the next meeting. This use is standard in all types of speech and writing.
The use of anticipate to mean expect should be avoided
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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anticipatornoun
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preanticipateverb (used with object)
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anticipatableadjective
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anticipatoryadjective
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anticipatorilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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anticipatesimple
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anticipatessimple
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have anticipatedperfect
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has anticipatedperfect
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am anticipatingprogressive
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are anticipatingprogressive
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is anticipatingprogressive
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have been anticipatingperfect progressive
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has been anticipatingperfect progressive
Past
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anticipatedsimple
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had anticipatedperfect
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was anticipatingprogressive
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were anticipatingprogressive
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had been anticipatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of anticipate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin anticipātus “taken before, anticipated,” past participle of anticipāre, “to take before,” equivalent to anti- (variant of ante- ante- ( def. ) ) + -cipāre (combining form of capere “to take”)
Explanation
To anticipate something is to be expecting it. Your dog might be waiting by the door, anticipating his next walk or squirrel chase. "Anticipating something" also often implies that you are preparing to take some action because of your expectations — like when you anticipate your chess opponent's next move and plan a counterattack. The word anticipate can also mean "to come beforehand" — as in a certain musical trend anticipating another.
Vocabulary lists containing anticipate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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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.
See Examples For:
If you don’t anticipate needing the money for several years, consider a diversified bond fund, a balanced stock-and-bond fund or even investing a portion of it in the stock market.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Once people have been through a traumatic event like a flood or a heatwave, they anticipate the next one," Hickman, who offers therapy to individuals experiencing climate anxiety, told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Instead of responding only after a treatment fails, doctors may eventually be able to anticipate resistance and act before the tumor regains strength.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I don’t anticipate it changing until we see the hires rate pick up.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
What he neglected to anticipate in between was his curiosity about the Rossi family and their circus.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
The agency anticipates replacing just over a mile of trunk line across the city this fiscal year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Krishna anticipates the AI boom will also boost IBM’s revenue, because most customers need someone to come in and hold their hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The company also anticipates adjusted total sales growth of over 4.5%, reflecting adjusted organic sales growth of more than 3.5%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The company anticipates a further slowdown in the third quarter, with growth of 11.7 percent, helping explain the jitters on Wall Street.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Turns out not using the number is harder than Jus anticipates, especially when he’s alone with nothing but memories of his homeboy.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Disappointing offerings included such anticipated titles as “Her Private Hell,” Nicolas Winding Refn’s first film in a decade, and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Sheep in the Box.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
On Friday, fans will see the hotly anticipated preview for "Spaceballs: The New One," a long-awaited sequel to Mel Brooks's legendary space comedy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
“If an unwanted inheritance is anticipated from a family member, it might be beneficial to use a qualified disclaimer to reject the bequest,” says Baker Tilly, a New York-based advisory, tax and assurance firm.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Isle of Man's main ferry will be out of action for longer than anticipated while "essential works" are carried out.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Most agreed that the massive waves that had knocked out the power at Fukushima Daiichi should have been anticipated.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
"We got more stock in but we weren't anticipating quite the uplift, particularly on Emily Wilson," Waterstones chief operating officer Kate Skipper told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“We’re anticipating those waves to kind of stay elevated through at least Tuesday.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Investors had started 2026 anticipating two cuts to the Federal Open Market Committee’s target range for the federal-funds rate.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
Traders seem to be anticipating a repeat of the now familiar pattern—a cessation of hostilities and talk of a “deal.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Mismatched remnants of other carpets were positioned in front of the sofa and chairs, like individual welcome mats anticipating where a person’s feet would contact the floor.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
