antedate

American  

[an-ti-deyt, an-ti-deyt, an-ti-deyt] / ˈæn tɪˌdeɪt, ˌæn tɪˈdeɪt, ˈæn tɪˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

antedated, antedating

1. to be of older date than; precede in time.

   The Peruvian empire antedates the Mexican empire.

2. predate.

3. to assign to an earlier date.

   to antedate a historical event.

4. to cause to return to an earlier time.

   to antedate one's thoughts by remembering past events.

5. to cause to happen sooner; accelerate.

   The cold weather antedated their departure from the country.

6. Archaic. to take or have in advance; anticipate.

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noun

1. a prior date.

antedate British  

verb

1. to be or occur at an earlier date than

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

3. to assign a date to (an event, etc) that is earlier than its previously assigned date

4. to cause to occur sooner

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noun

1. an earlier date

Etymology

Origin of antedate

1570–80; earlier antidate < Middle French antidater, derivative of antidate a date earlier than the true date (by association with anté- ante- ), originally a date put in place of another date; ante-, date ¹

Explanation

When things antedate something else, they come before it, or happen earlier than it does. World War I antedates World War II. Another way to say antedate is precede or predate. It's common to find the word antedate when people talk about history, for obvious reasons. Papyrus antedates modern paper, and paper antedates the desktop computer, which antedates the smartphone and tablet. Your parents' birth antedates your own, and your great-grandparents' lives antedate both yours and your parents'. In Latin, the prefix ante means "before."

Example Sentences

This selection, which includes several cartoons that antedate the age of Trump, showcases several modes.

From Washington Post • Apr. 19, 2017

These stones antedate even the long-ago, medieval world in which this “Macbeth” is set.

From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2014

Robert Hooke, not long after, suggested that the fossil record would form the basis for a chronology that would “far antedate ... even the very pyramids.”

From Scientific American • Oct. 20, 2013

His juggled compositions antedate John Cage by a generation.

From Time Magazine Archive

Though now known as little else but the eve of the Christian festival, Hallowe’en and its formerly attendant ceremonies long antedate Christianity.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 8 "Haller, Albrecht" to "Harmonium" by Various