Anterior Definition & Meaning

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British

[ an-teer-ee-er ]

/ ænˈtɪər i ər /

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See synonyms for: anterior / anteriority / anteriorly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

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Origin of anterior

1535–45; <Latin, comparative of ante before, formed on model of posterior

OTHER WORDS FROM anterior

an·te·ri·or·i·ty

[an-teer-ee-awr-i-tee, -or-], /ænˌtɪər iˈɔr ɪ ti, -ˈɒr-/, nounan·te·ri·or·ly, adverbnon·an·te·ri·or, adjective

Words nearby anterior

anteportico, anteposition, ante-post, anteprandial, anteprohibition, anterior, anterior tooth, Antero, anterograde amnesia, anteroom, anteroparietal

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.
How to Deal with Running Pain Like a Pro|jbeverly|February 26, 2022|Outside Online
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 Online
For 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-Science
The 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.
Scientists Are Learning to Read—and Change—Your Nightmares|Jeffrey Kluger|August 6, 2020|Time

Marquis explains that the likeliest loci are the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex.
Scientists Are Learning to Read—and Change—Your Nightmares|Jeffrey Kluger|August 6, 2020|Time
That action puts a stress in the anterior cruciate ligament.
Down With Downhill Skiing!|Bryan Curtis|February 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
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 Southwick
Its anterior portion is slender and thread-like, while the posterior portion is thicker (Fig. 112).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Because the people of God view themselves as bound by anterior engagements of his Church.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
This was the first settling of North America, and thirteen years anterior to the landing of the Pilgrims.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
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) /

adjective

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

Compare posterior

Derived forms of anterior

anteriority (ænˌtɪərɪˈɒrɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for anterior

C17: from Latin, comparative of ante before

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