anticipate

verb

an·​tic·​i·​pate an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt How to pronounce anticipate (audio)
anticipated; anticipating

transitive verb

1
: to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment to
2
: to meet (an obligation) before a due date
3
: to foresee and deal with in advance : forestall
4
: to use or expend in advance of actual possession
5
: to act before (another) often so as to check or counter
6
: to look forward to as certain : expect
We don't anticipate any problems during the construction.

intransitive verb

: to speak or write in knowledge or expectation of later matter
anticipatable adjective
anticipator noun
Choose the Right Synonym for anticipate

foresee, foreknow, divine, anticipate mean to know beforehand.

foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

prevent, anticipate, forestall mean to deal with beforehand.

prevent implies taking advance measures against something possible or probable.

measures taken to prevent leaks

anticipate may imply merely getting ahead of another by being a precursor or forerunner or it may imply checking another's intention by acting first.

anticipated the question by making a statement

forestall implies a getting ahead so as to stop or interrupt something in its course.

hoped to forestall the sale

Examples of anticipate in a Sentence

The cost turned out to be higher than anticipated. The author anticipated objections to his theory. The organizers of the fair anticipate a large crowd. I did not anticipate having to pay for your ticket. He eagerly anticipated her arrival.
Recent Examples on the Web As anticipated, Chiapponi’s first and only collection for Blumarine was a far cry from Brognano’s aesthetic of butterfly motifs and Y2K silhouettes: for AW24, the brand pivoted to romantic lace brogues, sheer gowns and floral prints on dresses and silk pyjamas. Maliha Shoaib, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 For fiscal 2024, Dollar Tree anticipates earnings between $6.70 and $7.30 per share. Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 But nobody — not the players, not the coach — anticipated a 30-0 record going into the final weekend. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Like other special counsel hearings in recent years, this one was widely anticipated — but failed to generate much in the way of fresh answers or evidence. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 And on a monthly basis, core inflation climbed slightly more quickly than anticipated as airline fares and car insurance prices increased, even as one closely watched housing measure climbed less rapidly. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 There were no reports that the boy was injured, and police do not anticipate filing charges against his parents, WBNS and The Columbus Disptach reported. Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 However, The Company didn’t anticipate that Danny’s experience, coupled with Wihlbord’s brilliance, could enable them to turn it all back on The Company. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 Construction workers anticipate closing entrance ramps to Ohio 562 westbound on the night of June 2. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anticipate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin anticipatus, past participle of anticipare, from ante- + -cipare (from capere to take) — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anticipate was in 1532

Dictionary Entries Near anticipate

Cite this Entry

“Anticipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticipate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anticipate

verb
an·​tic·​i·​pate an-ˈtis-ə-ˌpāt How to pronounce anticipate (audio)
anticipated; anticipating
1
: to foresee and deal with or provide for beforehand
anticipated their objections
anticipated my every need
2
: to expect especially with pleasure
anticipate your visit next week
anticipator noun
Etymology

from Latin anticipatus "having dealt with ahead of time," from anticipare "anticipate," literally "to occupy beforehand," from anti-, altered form of ante- "before" and -cipare, derived from capere "to take" — related to accept, capture

Medical Definition

anticipate

verb
an·​tic·​i·​pate an-ˈtis-ə-ˌpāt How to pronounce anticipate (audio)
anticipated; anticipating

transitive verb

: to give advance thought to

intransitive verb

: to come before the expected time
used especially of medical symptoms

Legal Definition

anticipate

transitive verb
an·​tic·​i·​pate an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt How to pronounce anticipate (audio)
anticipated; anticipating
1
: to bar or invalidate (a patent) by anticipation
the patent on the compound had been anticipated by the Beilstein referenceMisani v. Ortho Pharm. Corp., 210 A.2d 609 (1965)
2
: to negate the novelty of (an invention) by its appearance in prior art
appeared to have anticipated a variable light makeup mirrorWilson v. Bristol-Myers Co., 503 N.Y.S.2d 334 (1986)

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