predate
Americanverb
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to affix a date to (a document, paper, etc) that is earlier than the actual date
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to assign a date to (an event, period, etc) that is earlier than the actual or previously assigned date of occurrence
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to be or occur at an earlier date than; precede in time
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has predatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have predatedperfect
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have been predatingperfect progressive
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is predatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am predatingprogressive 1st person singular
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predatessingular 3rd person
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are predatingprogressive
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has been predatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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predatingparticiple
Past
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had predatedperfect
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had been predatingperfect progressive
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predatedsimple
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were predatingprogressive plural
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predatedparticiple
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was predatingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of predate
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."
Vocabulary lists containing predate
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.
Predate, prē-dāt′, v.t. to date before the true date: to date by anticipation: to be earlier than.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
