1. The act of expecting or foreseeing something; expectation or presentiment: "None are happy but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing" (Samuel Johnson).

2. An expectation: "His heart was light and his anticipations high" (Mark Twain).

3. Action taken in order to prevent or counteract something: The police department's anticipation of unruly behavior after the championship game prevented mayhem.

4. The use or assignment of funds, especially from a trust fund, before they are legitimately available for use.

5. Music Introduction on a weak beat of one note of a new chord before the previous chord is resolved.