Synonyms

anticipate

American

[an-tis-uh-payt] / ænˈtɪs əˌpeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee.

to anticipate pleasure.
to expect; look forward to; be sure of.

to anticipate a favorable decision.
to perform (an action) before another has had time to act.
to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made.

He anticipated each of my orders.
to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance.

to anticipate a military attack.

Synonyms:

avert, obviate, preclude
to consider or mention before the proper time.

to anticipate more difficult questions.
to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc..

Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.
Finance.
1. to expend (funds) before they are legitimately available for use.
2. to discharge (an obligation) before it is due.

verb (used without object)

to think, speak, act, or feel an emotional response in advance.

anticipate British

/ ænˈtɪsɪˌpeɪt /

verb

(may take a clause as object) to foresee and act in advance of

he anticipated the fall in value by selling early
to thwart by acting in advance of; forestall

I anticipated his punch by moving out of reach
(also intr) to mention (something) before its proper time

don't anticipate the climax of the story
(may take a clause as object) to regard as likely; expect; foresee

he anticipated that it would happen
to make use of in advance of possession

he anticipated his salary in buying a house
to pay (a bill, etc) before it falls due
to cause to happen sooner

the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire

"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

Usage

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.

The use of anticipate to mean expect should be avoided

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of anticipate

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

Explanation

To anticipate something is to be expecting it. Your dog might be waiting by the door, anticipating his next walk or squirrel chase. "Anticipating something" also often implies that you are preparing to take some action because of your expectations — like when you anticipate your chess opponent's next move and plan a counterattack. The word anticipate can also mean "to come beforehand" — as in a certain musical trend anticipating another.

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Vocabulary lists containing anticipate

100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"

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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

anticipate anticipates anticipated anticipating

Investors expect at least two rate increases by July next year, though most anticipate rate setters to stand pat when they next meet on Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Did he anticipate Dr. Harry Edwards being co-opted by the 49ers, Ray Lewis by the Ravens, and the players’ coalition by team owners?

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2026

"But if we understand and can anticipate how they become resistant to these molecules, we can hopefully find better ways to target them or develop combination treatments that better avoid resistance."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

Paulsen believes that because they have a lagging effect on economic activity and the stock market, these next two quarters may not be so positive as investors might anticipate.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

She needed to contemplate with eyes closed the full richness of what she had lost, what she had given away, and to anticipate the new regime.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

GEO Group said it anticipates receiving $705 million in proceeds from the sales, after taxes and transaction fees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

That could put a damper on Dutch Bros’s ambitious growth targets, said Ari Felhandler, an analyst with Morningstar who anticipates the company will fall short of its 2029 shop count goal by about 300 locations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

He anticipates intense interest in artificial intelligence and the infrastructure behind it, particularly data centers.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

He also anticipates that companies involved in project development of behind-the-meter systems will see a flurry of transactions with data-center developers and AI companies.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Turns out not using the number is harder than Jus anticipates, especially when he’s alone with nothing but memories of his homeboy.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

It is not anticipated a final decision on Gabriel's future will be confirmed for a few weeks, with United clearly watching the situation closely.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Ryan Goh, investment strategist at the bank, added that tighter supply in the memory sector is anticipated through 2028, with long-term deals improving revenue and earnings visibility.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Among the anticipated results are high-resolution images of Earth and the Moon taken by JANUS, Juice's scientific camera.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

Dozens of locals, some equipped with binoculars and long-lensed cameras, gathered near the air base's perimeter fence to watch the highly anticipated arrival of the jets.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

I saw him go into a sudden crouch, and in the fraction of a second before he hit the ball I realized that he had anticipated the curve and was deliberately swinging low.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Markets weren’t fully anticipating how aggressive the Fed’s 2022 hiking cycle turned out to be.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The World Bank warned that Nepal needs to build a hydropower system capable of anticipating, absorbing and recovering from increasingly complex Himalayan hazards.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

"I have been quite explicit to say there is unlikely to be a legacy because I'm anticipating spending it all."

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

While he expects more economists to start talking about recession risks in the months ahead, he isn’t anticipating the U.S. to go full “hamburger to Hamburger Helper” and tip into a recession.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026

Today was exactly the kind of day they’d been anticipating.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023