anticipate
Americanverb (used with object)
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anticipates,
present (3rd person singular)
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anticipated,
past participle, past
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anticipating
present participle
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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)
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anticipates,
present (3rd person singular)
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anticipated,
past participle, past
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anticipating
present participle
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:
These data come as investors increasingly anticipate that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates by the end of the year, potentially at its next meeting in October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Adjusted for the usual gap between CPI inflation and PCE inflation, that suggests investors anticipate average expected inflation to be close to the Fed’s 2% target over the next 10 years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
This could be trying to anticipate what product an online shopper might buy, based on previous purchases, in order to recommend items.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Connections between ocean basins can help scientists anticipate shifts in rainfall and other major climate patterns.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
"There are risks to any launch," Annie said, sidestepping the question, "but we don't anticipate problems. The weather at the Cape is clear with warm temperatures. Conditions couldn't be better."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Drax anticipates its new solar and wind assets to cut costs and improve pricing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Food aromas may prepare the digestive system for an upcoming meal or produce psychological and physiological changes as the body anticipates eating.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
The company also anticipates $1.85 and $1.93 in adjusted earnings per share, while the FactSet consensus called for $1.89.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Despite the struggle to contain the jihadists, no-one anticipates Africa Corps leaving the Sahel any time soon.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
In Cuban son, however, the melody is elastic in the other direction: it anticipates the main beat.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The decline missed expectations from economists polled by The Wall Street Journal, who anticipated housing starts would rise 4.9% to 1.3 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The highly anticipated $1-billion building opens to the public Sept. 22, with previews underway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
The club say it was anticipated Gabriel would become their youngest senior player by playing in Wednesday night's EFL Cup tie with Brighton.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Chief Executive Mary Barra touted the division this summer in a call with analysts, saying she anticipated $700 million in defense revenue this year and double-digit margins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 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
The findings raise the possibility that simply anticipating food could trigger some responses resembling those caused by actually eating it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
That said, I doubt they were anticipating the slow siphoning of Sunday games by the NFL when they signed the deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” McVay said of anticipating when adversity will come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Social media platforms are littered with cheering sections gleefully anticipating mass unemployment in creative industries.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
I realize that for the first time since I have come to St. Emilion, I am not dwelling in the past but anticipating, without dread, the future.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
