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anticipate

American  

[an-tis-uh-payt] / ænˈtɪs əˌpeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• anticipates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• anticipated,
  past participle,  past
• anticipating
  present participle

1. to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee.

   to anticipate pleasure.

2. to expect; look forward to; be sure of.

   to anticipate a favorable decision.

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

4. to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made.

   He anticipated each of my orders.

5. to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance.

   to anticipate a military attack.

   Synonyms:

   avert, obviate, preclude

6. to consider or mention before the proper time.

   to anticipate more difficult questions.

7. to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc..

   Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.

8. Finance.

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

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

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verb (used without object)

• anticipates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• anticipated,
  past participle,  past
• anticipating
  present participle

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

anticipate British  

/ ænˈtɪsɪˌpeɪt /

verb

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

3. (also intr) to mention (something) before its proper time

   don't anticipate the climax of the story

4. (may take a clause as object) to regard as likely; expect; foresee

   he anticipated that it would happen

5. to make use of in advance of possession

   he anticipated his salary in buying a house

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

7. to cause to happen sooner

   the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire

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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

• anticipator
  noun
• preanticipate
  verb (used with object)
• anticipatable
  adjective
• anticipatory
  adjective
• anticipatorily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• anticipating
  present
• anticipated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• anticipate
  simple
• anticipates
  simple
• have anticipated
  perfect
• has anticipated
  perfect
• am anticipating
  progressive
• are anticipating
  progressive
• is anticipating
  progressive
• have been anticipating
  perfect progressive
• has been anticipating
  perfect progressive

Past

• anticipated
  simple
• had anticipated
  perfect
• was anticipating
  progressive
• were anticipating
  progressive
• had been anticipating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will anticipate
  simple
• will have anticipated
  perfect
• will be anticipating
  progressive
• will have been anticipating
  perfect progressive

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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”)

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anticipate anticipates anticipated anticipating

"It helps us map complex disease with such precision that we can begin to anticipate its course and intervene before the most serious damage occurs."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

These come as investors increasingly anticipate that the Bank of England will raise interest rates at its next meeting on Nov. 5.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

October has also been an ugly month for the sector but this time around, JPMorgan’s global strategy team does not anticipate a recovery anywhere near as speedy and emphatic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

"Climate change is moving the baseline itself; catching up with the previous disaster is no longer enough. We need to anticipate the next one," he says.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

With those obligations fulfilled, Garfield felt free to anticipate the beginning of a longer vacation with his family.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

The company anticipates data-center demand to remain strong in the fourth quarter, with continuing pricing momentum offsetting the hit of raw-material inflation and tariffs for the year as a whole.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

He also anticipates $250 billion of capital expenditures, or long-term spending on heavy infrastructure.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

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

Morningstar analyst Ari Felhandler anticipates Dutch Bros will fall short of its 2029 shop count goal by about 300 locations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

In Cuban son, however, the melody is elastic in the other direction: it anticipates the main beat.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Rain is anticipated for Southern California on Wednesday into Thursday as the National Weather Service cautioned about potential beach hazards and thunderstorms from Oxnard to the Mexico border.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

“Should prices continue to lag inflation, the anticipated continued double-digit growth in 2027 would have to rely more on Sabre’s new pricing initiatives, rather than the positive market backdrop,” the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

To many observers, the Manchester United left-back situation was one that could have been anticipated and should have been addressed in the summer.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Anthropic’s infrastructure commitments and slowing quarterly sales growth are raising the stakes for its anticipated November IPO.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

Fear comes in many forms but perhaps the worst scare is the one that isn’t anticipated; the one that isn’t really known about until it’s there.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

“Now the real issue is ensuring that this doesn’t happen again. … We obviously need to be better at anticipating the kind of mobilization that is unfolding.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

If you’re anticipating a yes, there’s no need to be overly—and counterproductively—assertive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

O'Neill believes Hearts are genuine contenders again and is anticipating a match that will be as challenging as May's dramatic title decider.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Even when a person is fully unconscious under general anesthesia, their brain may still be doing something remarkable: processing language, recognizing patterns, and even anticipating which words will come next.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

I lingered between sleep and wakefulness, anticipating my mother’s speedy return.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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Related Words

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