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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

The best passing duos look like they have telepathic powers with the ability to anticipate each other’s next move.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

The same capabilities that make A.I. agents useful for complicated business or technical functions make them freakishly good at getting around whatever constraints we place on them, in ways we don’t anticipate.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

"Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine," she said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Rosenberg adds that 53% of consumers anticipate a recession in the next 12 months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Kaz had warned them to anticipate competition, other teams bent on gaining the prize at any cost, but this was early in the job for things to be going so badly.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Dr. Michael Kornberg, an associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told me he anticipates that Applegate’s experience may lead others to question their own diagnoses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The International Energy Agency anticipates a 25-percent copper supply deficit by 2035 if new deposits are not developed worldwide.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

It now anticipates earnings per share to be $7.80 to $7.95, up from $7.35 to $7.50.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Thill anticipates that Meta’s future funding plans will remain a “key focus.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

“He anticipates it constantly when you’re abroad,” she said.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

An increase that investors hadn’t anticipated could have put the central bank under a political glare it generally tries to avoid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

The raft of filings are reminiscent of SpaceX’s hotly anticipated initial public offering in June.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

The listing, one of the year's most anticipated, attracted robust demand last week, with investors applying for more than 22 times the shares on offer.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

District Judge J. Michael Seabright, however, delayed the disqualifications from taking effect while he considers an anticipated government request for a stay pending appeal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

Dimple had gotten here faster than she’d anticipated, so she’d texted Celia to tell her that she was here, but to take her time.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

In her research, women assumed a disproportionate share of this mental labor, particularly the responsibility for anticipating needs and keeping track of whether tasks had been completed.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

The ICE dollar Index edged higher, as most investors expect the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates steady at next week’s meeting, though some are still anticipating a rate hike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

“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

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

Clancy, maybe anticipating another hard shove, moved to the other side of his desk.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

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