anticipate
Americanverb (used with object)
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anticipates,
present (3rd person singular)
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anticipated,
past participle, past
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anticipating
present participle
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to realize beforehand; foretaste or foresee.
to anticipate pleasure.
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to expect; look forward to; be sure of.
to anticipate a favorable decision.
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to perform (an action) before another has had time to act.
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to answer (a question), obey (a command), or satisfy (a request) before it is made.
He anticipated each of my orders.
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to nullify, prevent, or forestall by taking countermeasures in advance.
to anticipate a military attack.
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to consider or mention before the proper time.
to anticipate more difficult questions.
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to be before (another) in doing, thinking, achieving, etc..
Many modern inventions were anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci.
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Finance.
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to expend (funds) before they are legitimately available for use.
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to discharge (an obligation) before it is due.
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verb (used without object)
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anticipates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
anticipated,
past participle, past
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anticipating
present participle
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to foresee and act in advance of
he anticipated the fall in value by selling early
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to thwart by acting in advance of; forestall
I anticipated his punch by moving out of reach
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(also intr) to mention (something) before its proper time
don't anticipate the climax of the story
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(may take a clause as object) to regard as likely; expect; foresee
he anticipated that it would happen
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to make use of in advance of possession
he anticipated his salary in buying a house
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to pay (a bill, etc) before it falls due
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to cause to happen sooner
the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire
Usage
Despite claims that anticipate should only be used to mean “to perform (an action) or respond to (a question, etc.) in advance” or “to forestall,” it has been used widely since the 18th century as a synonym for expect, often with an implication of pleasure: We anticipate a large turnout at the next meeting. This use is standard in all types of speech and writing.
The use of anticipate to mean expect should be avoided
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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anticipatornoun
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preanticipateverb (used with object)
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anticipatableadjective
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anticipatoryadjective
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anticipatorilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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anticipatesimple
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anticipatessimple
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have anticipatedperfect
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has anticipatedperfect
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am anticipatingprogressive
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are anticipatingprogressive
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is anticipatingprogressive
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have been anticipatingperfect progressive
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has been anticipatingperfect progressive
Past
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anticipatedsimple
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had anticipatedperfect
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was anticipatingprogressive
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were anticipatingprogressive
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had been anticipatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of anticipate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin anticipātus “taken before, anticipated,” past participle of anticipāre, “to take before,” equivalent to anti- (variant of ante- ante- ( def. ) ) + -cipāre (combining form of capere “to take”)
Explanation
To anticipate something is to be expecting it. Your dog might be waiting by the door, anticipating his next walk or squirrel chase. "Anticipating something" also often implies that you are preparing to take some action because of your expectations — like when you anticipate your chess opponent's next move and plan a counterattack. The word anticipate can also mean "to come beforehand" — as in a certain musical trend anticipating another.
Vocabulary lists containing anticipate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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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.
See Examples For:
The other question was whether McLaren would have been wise to anticipate that the race director would call the VSC and pit Norris before it was deployed.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Connections between ocean basins can help scientists anticipate shifts in rainfall and other major climate patterns.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
“With a resurgence in fuel prices and trade tensions, consumers anticipate greater pressures on their pocketbooks to come,” Joanne Hsu, the director of the Surveys of Consumers, said.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
While nearly all observers anticipate a rate hike today, there is dissent among bond markets about the terminal rate for this tightening cycle from the ECB.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“No one expected Category Six hurricanes. They didn’t have city killers then. The climate changed. The weather shifted. They did not anticipate well.”
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Additionally, Pajjuri said, the supply chain anticipates price increases of between 80% and 100% for high-bandwidth memory next year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
It anticipates earnings per share of 93 cents to 98 cents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
That’s not to say that the reform would be easy: Sanders’ bill anticipates a four-year transition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
In the past year Gupta's brands have grown their top line by 100% and she anticipates strong double-digit growth going forward.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Turns out not using the number is harder than Jus anticipates, especially when he’s alone with nothing but memories of his homeboy.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Fans who were unable to snag tickets to one of the highly anticipated shows have not been left out entirely - events honouring Dion's comeback have dominated Paris in recent weeks.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Resurgent oil prices are adding to fears of inflation, and so with a Federal Reserve interest-rate decision next week, Friday’s release of consumer prices index data for August is keenly anticipated.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
In its weather, its soundtrack and the haunted stare of Jake Gyllenhaal, it evokes the weeks after 9/11, even if it anticipated them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
For farmers, this means harvesting may prove to be an even-steeper expense than anticipated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
But I already anticipated what her next question would be.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
Social media platforms are littered with cheering sections gleefully anticipating mass unemployment in creative industries.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Were they anticipating some major economic shock on the horizon?
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
The chip maker late Wednesday reported revenue of $29.6 billion for the July quarter, up 86% from the previous year, and above the $29.2 billion that analysts tracked by FactSet had been anticipating.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
A slight decline in global bond yields was helped by lower oil prices, with some investors anticipating that further measures from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
I realize that for the first time since I have come to St. Emilion, I am not dwelling in the past but anticipating, without dread, the future.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
