predate

American  

[pree-deyt] / ˈpriˈdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

predated, predating

1. to date before the actual time; antedate.

   He predated the check by three days.

2. to precede in date.

   a house that predates the Civil War.

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predate British  

/ priːˈdeɪt /

verb

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

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

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

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Etymology

Origin of predate

First recorded in 1860–65; pre- + date ¹

Example Sentences

The local museum in Barentsburg focuses on Russia’s centurieslong presence on the archipelago, which Moscow says predates even the European explorers credited with discovering the land in the late 16th century.

From The Wall Street Journal

That timeframe predates the Great Oxidation Event by several hundred million years.

From Science Daily

And the message-board-born concept of a “lolcow,” a gullible user who can be goaded into making a fool of themselves on a regular basis, definitely predated the music video.

From Salon

The Dow might have all the unusual markings of an index that predates computers, cable news and even the existence of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Mr. Polito reserves all his negativity for the period that predates his study.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• anticipate
• foreshadow
• outrank
• presage