anticipation

[an-tis-uh-pey-shuh n]

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noun

the act of anticipating or the state of being anticipated.

realization in advance; foretaste.

expectation or hope.

previous notion; slight previous impression.

intuition, foreknowledge, or prescience.

Law. a premature withdrawal or assignment of money from a trust estate.

Music. a tone introduced in advance of its harmony so that it sounds against the preceding chord.

Origin of anticipation

1540–50; (< Middle French) < Latin anticipātiōn- (stem of anticipātiō), equivalent to anticipāt(us) (past participle; see anticipate) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsnon·an·tic·i·pa·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for anticipation

apprehension, joy, prospect, hope, awareness, expectancy, outlook, contemplation, impatience, preconception, foresight, promise, premonition, trust, presentiment, preoccupation, prescience, foretaste, intuition, foreboding

Examples from the Web for anticipation

Contemporary Examples of anticipation

There was an air of excitement and anticipation in the lobby as showtime approached.
I Was Honeydicked Into Spending Christmas with ‘The Interview’
Allison McNearney
December 26, 2014
First, there was the anticipation and excitement that there was going to be a movie.
Inside the Lifetime Whitney Houston Movie’s Lesbian Lover Storyline
Kevin Fallon
December 16, 2014
In anticipation of the new series, Gail Simone spoke with The Daily Beast via email.
Gail Simone’s Bisexual Catman and the ‘Secret Six’
Rich Goldstein
December 6, 2014
Vieira dumped his personal Facebook page a few weeks ago, partly in anticipation of more backlash that will come with the show.
Hunting for a Real-Life Hagrid
Nina Strochlic
November 13, 2014
In anticipation of 2016 the GOP had better consolidate its goods and reinvent its brand.
Wake Up, Republicans: Hillary Clinton’s Machine Can Crush You
Myra Adams
September 26, 2014

Historical Examples of anticipation

"Nobody but you and me," Burke declared, all agog with anticipation of victory at last.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
But he was beginning to drink with pleasure, with anticipation, with hope.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
This was at a moment when all England was in arms, in anticipation of an invasion from France.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
By anticipation their bosoms swelled with gratitude, and their hearts dilated into praise.
Imogen
William Godwin
Both the experience and the anticipation of it were emotionally exciting.
Cleo The Magnificent
Louis Zangwill

British Dictionary definitions for anticipation

anticipation

noun

the act of anticipating; expectation, premonition, or foresight

the act of taking or dealing with funds before they are legally available or due

music an unstressed, usually short note introduced before a downbeat and harmonically related to the chord immediately following itCompare suspension (def. 11)

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

Word Origin and History for anticipation

late 14c., from Latin anticipationem (nominative anticipatio) "preconception, preconceived notion," noun of action from past participle stem of anticipare "take care of ahead of time" (see anticipate). Meaning "action of looking forward to" is from 1809.