anticipate

[ an-tis-uh-peyt ]
See synonyms for: anticipateanticipatedanticipatesanticipating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),an·tic·i·pat·ed, an·tic·i·pat·ing.
  1. to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee: to anticipate pleasure.

  2. to expect; look forward to; be sure of: to anticipate a favorable decision.

  1. to perform (an action) before another has had time to act.

  2. to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made: He anticipated each of my orders.

  3. to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance: to anticipate a military attack.

  4. to consider or mention before the proper time: to anticipate more difficult questions.

  5. to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc.: Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.

  6. Finance.

    • to expend (funds) before they are legitimately available for use.

    • to discharge (an obligation) before it is due.

verb (used without object),an·tic·i·pat·ed, an·tic·i·pat·ing.
  1. to think, speak, act, or feel an emotional response in advance.

Origin of anticipate

1
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-) + -cipāre (combining form of capere “to take”)

usage note For anticipate

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.

Other words for anticipate

Other words from anticipate

  • an·tic·i·pat·a·ble, adjective
  • an·tic·i·pa·tor, noun
  • pre·an·tic·i·pate, verb (used with object), pre·an·tic·i·pat·ed, pre·an·tic·i·pat·ing.

Words Nearby anticipate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use anticipate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for anticipate

anticipate

/ (ænˈtɪsɪˌpeɪt) /


verb(mainly tr)
  1. (may take a clause as object) to foresee and act in advance of: he anticipated the fall in value by selling early

  2. to thwart by acting in advance of; forestall: I anticipated his punch by moving out of reach

  1. (also intr) to mention (something) before its proper time: don't anticipate the climax of the story

  2. (may take a clause as object) to regard as likely; expect; foresee: he anticipated that it would happen

  3. to make use of in advance of possession: he anticipated his salary in buying a house

  4. to pay (a bill, etc) before it falls due

  5. to cause to happen sooner: the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire

Origin of anticipate

1
C16: from Latin anticipāre to take before, realize beforehand, from anti- ante- + capere to take

usage For anticipate

The use of anticipate to mean expect should be avoided

Derived forms of anticipate

  • anticipator, noun
  • anticipatory or anticipative, adjective
  • anticipatorily or anticipatively, adverb

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