anticipate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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
- anticipatable adjective
- anticipator noun
- anticipatorily adverb
- anticipatory adjective
- preanticipate verb (used with object)
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”)
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.
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From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
“Overall, we anticipate a solid set of results, slightly ahead of consensus on adjusted operating profit and adjusted EPS.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
"We did not anticipate that this video record would provide such a rich variety of detailed observations. Such kinematic data is critical for advancing our understanding of earthquake source physics," says Kearse.
From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026
The UK Health Security Agency has attempted to anticipate what could happen in the next six months, but has only "low confidence" in any of its forecasts.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
He knew the smell of death and was terrified of it, for he could not anticipate it.
From "Sula" by Toni Morrison
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.
