anticipation
Americannoun
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the act of anticipating or the state of being anticipated.
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realization in advance; foretaste.
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expectation or hope.
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previous notion; slight previous impression.
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intuition, foreknowledge, or prescience.
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Law. a premature withdrawal or assignment of money from a trust estate.
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Music. a tone introduced in advance of its harmony so that it sounds against the preceding chord.
noun
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the act of anticipating; expectation, premonition, or foresight
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the act of taking or dealing with funds before they are legally available or due
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music an unstressed, usually short note introduced before a downbeat and harmonically related to the chord immediately following it Compare suspension
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anticipation
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French, from Latin anticipātiōn-, stem of anticipātiō “innate notion, preconception,” from anticipāt(us) “taken before, anticipated” (past participle of anticipāre “to take before”; see anticipate) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Anticipation is excitement, waiting eagerly for something you know is going to happen. Someone who has just proposed marriage waits in anticipation for a positive reply. Anticipation can be a nervous expectation, like when the birthday party waited in anticipation for Elmer to walk in so they could surprise him. However, anticipation can also mean to be like a Boy Scout: prepared. The weather center's anticipation of the storm prevented anyone from getting hurt. It can refer to something you'd like to prevent from happening, such as "the anticipation of a tax increase next year." Either way, it's a way of looking ahead, just like its Latin roots which mean "to take care of ahead of time."
Vocabulary lists containing anticipation
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Olympics Vocabulary for Champions
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American Born Chinese
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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.
The Getty Center is not alone among L.A. cultural institutions revamping their facilities in anticipation of Olympic tourism.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Chapman’s business model was to start planting in anticipation of the homesteaders’ arrival.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
There has been considerable anticipation around whether he can chart a policy course that differs from the president’s wishes ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
CBS reported, citing unnamed sources, that members of the US military and intelligence apparatus were cancelling holiday weekend plans in anticipation of possible strikes.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Zheng looked at the sea with so much hope and anticipation that Razi’s heart lifted.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
