predate

American  

[pree-deyt] / ˈpriˈdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

predated, predating

1. to date before the actual time; antedate.

   He predated the check by three days.

2. to precede in date.

   a house that predates the Civil War.

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predate British  

/ priːˈdeɪt /

verb

1. to affix a date to (a document, paper, etc) that is earlier than the actual date

2. to assign a date to (an event, period, etc) that is earlier than the actual or previously assigned date of occurrence

3. to be or occur at an earlier date than; precede in time

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Etymology

Origin of predate

First recorded in 1860–65; pre- + date ¹

Example Sentences

The well not only predates Christianity as a sacred site, but also symbolically and literally marks the starting point of what would become the city of Glasgow.

From BBC

Yet Miles’ experience highlights a recurring problem: Native Americans, the first inhabitants of what is now the United States, are sometimes treated as foreigners by the very government their ancestors predated.

From Salon

Opening the trial on Tuesday, Mr Justice Johnson told jurors that the allegations they would consider predate Palestine Action's proscription under terrorism laws this June.

From BBC

The changes predate Mr. Roberts but have accelerated on his watch.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their set list spans their catalog but leans surprisingly on “Horn of Plenty,” those loose, bedroom-born sketches that predated any sense of grandeur.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anticipate
• foreshadow
• outrank
• presage