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Synonyms

predate

American

[pree-deyt] / ˈpriˈdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

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.

predate British

/ priːˈdeɪt /

verb

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

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Past

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Etymology

Origin of predate

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

Explanation

To predate is to happen or exist before something else. If you move into a house that already has a ghost, the ghost predates you. Boo! If your interest in soul music predates your sister's, you loved it first. When you use predate this way, you can read it as a combination of pre-, "before," and date, "point in time." Another meaning of this verb is "to prey on for food," so you could say that your cat predates the mice that live in your kitchen. This definition stems from predator, from the Latin praedator, "plunderer."

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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.

Other buyers would say, however, that such issues long predate the current soccer bonanza.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

South Africa's laws prohibiting hate speech and incitement to violence mostly predate modern social media platforms, said Kimal Harvey, an attorney at the Legal Resources Centre.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

But economists argue the rupee's troubles predate the war and cannot be solved through austerity alone.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Hispanic communities along Route 66 in New Mexico predate the highway by centuries.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Had the king had them carved when he built the clock tower, or did they predate it?

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

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