backdate

American

[bak-deyt] / ˈbækˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to date earlier than the actual date; predate; antedate.

Backdate the letter so he'll think I wrote it last week.

backdate British

/ ˌbækˈdeɪt /

verb

(tr) to make effective from an earlier date

the pay rise was backdated to August

"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

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Etymology

Origin of backdate

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; back ² + date ¹

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.

Teams can backdate IL moves a maximum of three days.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

They may not backdate documents, pressure cognitively impaired clients, transfer funds to their own accounts or add themselves as joint owners without clear authorization.ves as a joint account owner without consent.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

They accepted the deal in September after the company agreed to backdate the increase by an extra month.

From Reuters • Dec. 23, 2022

The appeal had been ongoing, but since being contacted by the BBC, South West London CCG has now overturned its decision and said it will backdate the money.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2022

V. misdate, antedate, postdate, backdate, overdate†; anticipate; take no note of time, lose track of time; anachronize†.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023