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

In recent data that predate the war, the economy’s fundamentals have remained solid, with moderate unemployment, slightly elevated inflation and modest economic growth to end last year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Among those selected was Fulton's Grand Orrery, a working model of the solar system which predates the museum itself.

From BBC

That approach predates the recent investor anxiety around software.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a video posted to social media platform X, Edwards said the photo "predates when I even started working in politics".

From BBC

The author emphasizes that by the 1950s, approximately 90% of Cuba’s mines were owned by U.S. companies, demonstrating a longstanding pattern of American economic domination that predated the rise of Fidel Castro and communism.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anticipate
• foreshadow
• outrank
• presage