anterior
situated before or at the front of; fore (opposed to posterior).
going before in time or sequence; preceding; earlier: events anterior to the outbreak of war.
Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) articulated in the region extending from the alveolar ridge to the lips; alveolar, dental, or labial.
(in animals and embryos) pertaining to or toward the head or forward end of the body.
(in humans) pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.
Botany. on the front side and away from the main axis, as the lower lip of a flower.
Origin of anterior
1Other words from anterior
- an·te·ri·or·i·ty [an-teer-ee-awr-i-tee, -or-], /ænˌtɪər iˈɔr ɪ ti, -ˈɒr-/, noun
- an·te·ri·or·ly, adverb
- non·an·te·ri·or, adjective
Words Nearby anterior
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use anterior in a sentence
In everyday life, just about any form of deferred gratification you can think of will strengthen the underlying mechanism, which is centered in a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex.
If you’ve ever dealt with hip-flexor pain, anterior-knee pain, or lower-back pain on a long walk or run, then you might lack back-line participation.
5 Moves to Engage and Strengthen Your Glutes and Triceps | jversteegh | January 9, 2022 | Outside OnlineFor example, the head forms at the anterior end, limbs form in the mid-body, and the tail forms at the posterior end.
Animals have an internal ‘GPS’ that tells body parts where to grow | Ethan Bier/The Conversation | November 12, 2021 | Popular-ScienceThe anterior cingulate cortex plays a role in emotion, blood pressure, heart rate, morality and where we allocate our attention, all of which come into play during nightmares.
Marquis explains that the likeliest loci are the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex.
That action puts a stress in the anterior cruciate ligament.
That which is called nasality is caused by the failure of the tone to reach freely the anterior cavities of the nares.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickIts anterior portion is slender and thread-like, while the posterior portion is thicker (Fig. 112).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddBecause the people of God view themselves as bound by anterior engagements of his Church.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamThis was the first settling of North America, and thirteen years anterior to the landing of the Pilgrims.
The projection of the anterior root of P4 seems to be correlated with the presence or absence of P3.
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks | John A. White
British Dictionary definitions for anterior
/ (ænˈtɪərɪə) /
situated at or towards the front
earlier in time
zoology of or near the head end
botany (of part of a flower or leaf) situated farthest away from the main stem
Origin of anterior
1- Compare posterior
Derived forms of anterior
- anteriority (ænˌtɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ), noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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