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

Officials aim to backdate the start to Feb. 1; state governors are still pressing the federal government to find a way to make it valid for January too.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 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