predate

[pree-deyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR predate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), pre·dat·ed, pre·dat·ing.

to date before the actual time; antedate: He predated the check by three days.

to precede in date: a house that predates the Civil War.

Origin of predate

First recorded in 1860–65; pre- + date¹

Can be confusedantedate predate postdate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for predate

foreshadow, anticipate, presage, outrank, head, harbinger, lead, pioneer, preface, introduce, pace, scout, usher, rank, time, antedate, herald, guide, antecede, preexist

Examples from the Web for predate

Contemporary Examples of predate

But he appears to have been a 32-year-old native of Quebec with a history of legal troubles that predate his radicalization.
How Big Is the Canadian Terrorists’ Network?
Tim Mak, Eli Lake, Jacob Siegel
October 23, 2014
“Parents can be reassured with the finding that sexting may predate sexual behavior,” said Dr. Temple.
Sexting Is the New ‘First Base’
Russell Saunders
October 9, 2014
"The issues at stake in Bahrain predate the Arab Spring," Husain said in an interview with The Daily Beast.
Bahrain Opposition No Pawn of Iran’s Mullahs, Shiite Leader Says
Eli Lake
November 10, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for predate

predate

verb (tr)

to affix a date to (a document, paper, etc) that is earlier than the actual date

to assign a date to (an event, period, etc) that is earlier than the actual or previously assigned date of occurrence

to be or occur at an earlier date than; precede in time

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

Word Origin and History for predate

"to seek prey," 1974, a back-formation from predator, etc. Related: Predated; predating. For the word meaning "antedate; pre-exist," see pre-date.