backdate

American  

[bak-deyt] / ˈbækˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

backdates, present (3rd person singular) backdated, past participle, past backdating present participle

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

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

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backdate British  

/ ˌbækˈdeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to make effective from an earlier date

   the pay rise was backdated to August

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• backdating
  present
• backdated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• backdate
  simple
• backdates
  simple
• have backdated
  perfect
• has backdated
  perfect
• am backdating
  progressive
• are backdating
  progressive
• is backdating
  progressive
• have been backdating
  perfect progressive
• has been backdating
  perfect progressive

Past

• backdated
  simple
• had backdated
  perfect
• was backdating
  progressive
• were backdating
  progressive
• had been backdating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will backdate
  simple
• will have backdated
  perfect
• will be backdating
  progressive
• will have been backdating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of backdate

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