What does anticipate mean?

Definitions for anticipate
ænˈtɪs əˌpeɪtan·tic·i·pate

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word anticipate.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. expect, anticipateverb

    regard something as probable or likely

    "The meteorologists are expecting rain for tomorrow"

  2. anticipate, foresee, forestall, counterverb

    act in advance of; deal with ahead of time

  3. anticipate, previse, foreknow, foreseeverb

    realize beforehand

  4. predict, foretell, prognosticate, call, forebode, anticipate, promiseverb

    make a prediction about; tell in advance

    "Call the outcome of an election"

  5. anticipate, look for, look toverb

    be excited or anxious about

  6. anticipateverb

    be a forerunner of or occur earlier than

    "This composition anticipates Impressionism"

Wiktionary

  1. anticipateverb

    To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.

  2. anticipateverb

    to take up or introduce (something) prematurely.

    The advocate plans to anticipate a part of her argument.

  3. anticipateverb

    to know of (something) before it happens; to expect.

  4. anticipateverb

    to eagerly wait for (something)

    Little Johnny started to anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus a week before Christmas.

  5. Etymology: anticipatus, perfect passive participle of anticipare; from ante, + capere. See Capable.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To ANTICIPATEverb

    Etymology: anticipo, Lat.

    God hath taken care to anticipate and prevent every man, to draw him early into his church; to give piety the prepossession, and so to engage him in holiness. Henry Hammond, Fundamentals.

    I find I have anticipated already, and taken up from Boccace, before I come to him; but I am of the temper of kings, who are for present money, no matter how they pay it. John Dryden, Fab.

    The life of the desperate equals the anxiety of death, who but act the life of the damned, and anticipate the desolations of hell. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. i. c. 2.

    Why should we
    Anticipate our sorrows? ’tis like those
    That die for fear of death. John Denham, Sophy.

    Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits:
    The flighty purpose never is o’ertook,
    Unless the deed go with it. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

    I am so far from pretending to instruct the profession, or anticipating their directions to such as are under their government. John Arbuthnot, on Aliments.

    If our Apostle had maintained such an anticipating principle engraven upon our souls before all exercise of reason; what did he talk of seeking the Lord, seeing that the knowledge of him was innate and perpetual. Richard Bentley, Sermons.

Wikipedia

  1. anticipate

    Anticipation is an emotion involving pleasure or anxiety in considering or awaiting an expected event. Anticipatory emotions include fear, anxiety, hope and trust. When the anticipated event fails to occur, it results in disappointment (if positive event) or relief (if negative event).

ChatGPT

  1. anticipate

    To anticipate means to expect or predict something prior to its occurrence. It involves taking advance actions or preparations with regard to a predicted event or situation. Additionally, it can also refer to regarding a future event as being seemingly present or already accomplished.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Anticipateverb

    to be before in doing; to do or take before another; to preclude or prevent by prior action

  2. Anticipateverb

    to take up or introduce beforehand, or before the proper or normal time; to cause to occur earlier or prematurely; as, the advocate has anticipated a part of his argument

  3. Anticipateverb

    to foresee (a wish, command, etc.) and do beforehand that which will be desired

  4. Anticipateverb

    to foretaste or foresee; to have a previous view or impression of; as, to anticipate the pleasures of a visit; to anticipate the evils of life

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Anticipate

    an-tis′ip-āt, v.t. to be beforehand with (another person or thing), to forestall or preoccupy: to take in hand, or consider, before the due time: to foresee: realise beforehand, or count upon as certain: to expect.—v.t. and v.i. to accelerate: to occur earlier than.—adj. and n. Antic′ipant, anticipating, anticipative.—n. Anticipā′tion, act of anticipating: assignment to too early a time: foretaste: previous notion, or presentiment: expectation.—adjs. Anti′cipātive, Anti′cipātory.—advs. Anticipā′tively, Anticipā′torily (rare). [L. anticipāre, -ātumānte, before, cap-ĕre, to take.]

Editors Contribution

  1. anticipate

    To know and expect as possible.

    They did anticipate accurately everyone was delighted with the news of their impending marriage.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 11, 2020  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'anticipate' in Verbs Frequency: #648

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of anticipate in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of anticipate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of anticipate in a Sentence

  1. Katsunobu Kato:

    We must anticipate a spread of infections from now and must build medical system and so on to focus efforts to prevent people from becoming gravely ill or dying, we will make the people feel at ease by providing information in a timely manner, and continue to forestall measures.

  2. Alison Wingate:

    I didn't know that the market was going so crazy that they're asking so much over the asking price and the inventory is extremely low, that was something I did not anticipate.

  3. Seth Spillman:

    What we found was an authentic voice for the Museum, what we didn't anticipate was how much that voice would resonate with people during this difficult time. It's wonderful.

  4. Kevin Baughman:

    There is a lot of effort going on right now to minimize the impact, we do not anticipate any supply disruptions with our efforts.

  5. Tad Sholtis:

    We anticipate that side-by-side, air-to-air and air-to-ground tests will be illustrative of the fifth generation fighter's advanced interdiction capabilities, this aircraft is built to go where legacy platforms cannot.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

anticipate#10000#14126#100000

Translations for anticipate

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"anticipate." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 21 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/anticipate>.

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