anticipate
Americanverb (used with object)
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anticipates,
present (3rd person singular)
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anticipated,
past participle, past
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anticipating
present participle
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to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee.
to anticipate pleasure.
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to expect; look forward to; be sure of.
to anticipate a favorable decision.
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to perform (an action) before another has had time to act.
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to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made.
He anticipated each of my orders.
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to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance.
to anticipate a military attack.
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to consider or mention before the proper time.
to anticipate more difficult questions.
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to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc..
Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.
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Finance.
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to expend (funds) before they are legitimately available for use.
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to discharge (an obligation) before it is due.
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verb (used without object)
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anticipates,
present (3rd person singular)
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anticipated,
past participle, past
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anticipating
present participle
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to foresee and act in advance of
he anticipated the fall in value by selling early
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to thwart by acting in advance of; forestall
I anticipated his punch by moving out of reach
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(also intr) to mention (something) before its proper time
don't anticipate the climax of the story
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(may take a clause as object) to regard as likely; expect; foresee
he anticipated that it would happen
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to make use of in advance of possession
he anticipated his salary in buying a house
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to pay (a bill, etc) before it falls due
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to cause to happen sooner
the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire
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
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anticipatornoun
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preanticipateverb (used with object)
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anticipatableadjective
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anticipatoryadjective
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anticipatorilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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anticipatesimple
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anticipatessimple
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have anticipatedperfect
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has anticipatedperfect
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am anticipatingprogressive
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are anticipatingprogressive
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is anticipatingprogressive
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have been anticipatingperfect progressive
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has been anticipatingperfect progressive
Past
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anticipatedsimple
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had anticipatedperfect
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was anticipatingprogressive
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were anticipatingprogressive
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had been anticipatingperfect progressive
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.
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:
What struck me from my conversation with Wilson and other executives was the way AI has altered their thinking on how to anticipate future technologies that are on the horizon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“As capacity eases, which we anticipate, this company will be among the first and hardest hit,” she wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
You’d anticipate moments like that to be embellished with improv, but it’s all tightly scripted.“Of all the TV comedies I’ve worked on, this one has the most already on the page,” says DeYoung.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
As Berceren explains, “This means long-term yields can remain elevated even when markets anticipate rate cuts.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
“You cannot anticipate your final removal in this way, sir.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
He anticipates that both will use their mobility to make plays if the pocket collapses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
As the memory business evolves in the coming years, Sandisk’s management anticipates that the company will be able to maintain extreme profitability.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
He said he anticipates that campaigns will more fully understand and use AI to its full extent in the next two election cycles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
It anticipates third-quarter production will be 2.29 million to 2.32 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, while analysts are projecting 2.31 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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
Demand for electric vehicles is in a slump, leaving automakers with the need for fewer batteries than originally anticipated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
One thing the Reform UK leader could have anticipated is the cost.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The $3.3-billion endeavor is the most anticipated project in the airport’s $30-billion overhaul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Analysts had anticipated a win for Farage but underestimated the appeal of the self-styled "intergalactic space warrior" from planet Sigma IX, who campaigns wearing a rubbish bin on his head.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
It was surreal in a way I hadn't anticipated.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Not only that - I got up this morning anticipating being in the audience, on your behalf, for a Farage victory speech, here in Clacton, and then doing an interview him afterwards.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Locals were anticipating the busiest summer in years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Fans have been anticipating their doubles reunion since Serena announced her return to competitive tennis in June.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Overall, Miller is overweighting technology stocks in his portfolio, anticipating at least high-teens-percentage earnings growth in the next five to 10 years, but he is cognizant of risks in the sector.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Rule 17 Rebounding is the art of anticipating, of always being prepared to grab it.
From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
