backdate

American

[bak-deyt] / ˈbækˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

backdated, backdating

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

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.

Families will soon see the benefits of backdated income-tax cuts, while businesses enjoy the benefits of slashed regulation.

From Barron's

He imposed a total sentence of nine years, backdated to August last year.

From BBC

Hildreth said his client wrote a reimbursement check right away but that it was lost, necessitating a second, backdated check.

From Los Angeles Times

Her sentence will be backdated to 1 June, and she'll be eligible for parole after serving two years of her sentence.

From BBC

On Monday, investors began to analyze backdated federal data for broader snapshots of business conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal

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