anticipation
[an-tis-uh-pey-shuh n]
- 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.
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Origin of anticipation
1540–50; (< Middle French) < Latin anticipātiōn- (stem of anticipātiō), equivalent to anticipāt(us) (past participle; see anticipate) + -iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
apprehension, joy, prospect, hope, awareness, expectancy, outlook, contemplation, impatience, preconception, foresight, promise, premonition, trust, presentiment, preoccupation, prescience, foretaste, intuition, forebodingExamples from the Web for anticipation
Contemporary Examples
There was an air of excitement and anticipation in the lobby as showtime approached.
First, there was the anticipation and excitement that there was going to be a movie.
In anticipation of the new series, Gail Simone spoke with The Daily Beast via email.
Vieira dumped his personal Facebook page a few weeks ago, partly in anticipation of more backlash that will come with the show.
In anticipation of 2016 the GOP had better consolidate its goods and reinvent its brand.
Historical Examples
"Nobody but you and me," Burke declared, all agog with anticipation of victory at last.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
But he was beginning to drink with pleasure, with anticipation, with hope.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
This was at a moment when all England was in arms, in anticipation of an invasion from France.
Ned MyersJames Fenimore Cooper
By anticipation their bosoms swelled with gratitude, and their hearts dilated into praise.
ImogenWilliam Godwin
Both the experience and the anticipation of it were emotionally exciting.
Cleo The MagnificentLouis Zangwill
anticipation
- 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)
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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
n.
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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper