Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense anticipates, present participle anticipating, past tense, past participle anticipated
1. verb
If you anticipate an event, you realize in advance that it may happen and you are prepared for it.
At the time we couldn't have anticipated the result of our campaigning. [VERB noun]
It is anticipated that the equivalent of 192 full-time jobs will be lost. [beVERB-ed that]
I hadn't anticipated that Rob's team would advance that far. [VERB that]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: expect, predict, forecast, prepare for More Synonyms of anticipate
2. verb
If you anticipate a question, request, or need, you do what is necessary or required before the question, request, or need occurs.
What Jeff did was to anticipate my next question. [VERB noun]
Do you expect your partner to anticipate your needs? [VERB noun]
3. verb
If you anticipate something, you do it, think it, or say it before someone else does.
In the 50s, Rauschenberg anticipated the conceptual art movement of the 80s. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of anticipate
anticipate in British English
(ænˈtɪsɪˌpeɪt)
verb(mainly tr)
1. (may take a clause as object)
to foresee and act in advance of
they anticipated the fall in value by selling early
2.
to thwart by acting in advance of; forestall
I anticipated his punch by moving out of reach
3. (also intr)
to mention (something) before its proper time
don't anticipate the climax of the story
4. (may take a clause as object)
to regard as likely; expect; foresee
he anticipated that it would happen
5.
to make use of in advance of possession
she anticipated her salary in buying a house
6.
to pay (a bill, etc) before it falls due
7.
to cause to happen sooner
the spread of nationalism anticipated the decline of the Empire
▶ USAGE The use of anticipate to mean expect should be avoided
Derived forms
anticipator (anˈticiˌpator)
noun
anticipatory (anˈticipatory) or anticipative (anˈticipative)
adjective
anticipatorily (anˈticipatorily) or anticipatively (anˈticipatively)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from Latin anticipāre to take before, realize beforehand, from anti-ante- + capere to take
anticipate in American English
(ænˈtɪsəˌpeɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: anˈticiˌpated or anˈticiˌpating
1.
to look forward to; expect
to anticipate a pleasant vacation
2.
to make happen earlier; precipitate
3.
to prevent by action in advance; forestall
to anticipate an opponent's blows
4.
to foresee (a command, wish, etc.) and perform in advance
to anticipate a request
5.
to use or enjoy in advance
to anticipate a legacy
6.
to be ahead of in doing or achieving
did the Vikings anticipate Columbus in discovering America?
7.
to pay (a debt) before due
verb intransitive
8.
to speak of or consider a matter prematurely
SIMILAR WORDS: exˈpect
Derived forms
anticipatable (anˌticiˈpatable)
adjective
anticipator (anˈticiˌpator) (ænˈtɪsəˌpeɪtər)
noun
Word origin
< L anticipatus, pp. of anticipare < ante-, before + *capare < capere, to take: see have
Examples of 'anticipate' in a sentence
anticipate
Then, while waiting for Bayldon and the Commissioner to arrive, he tried to anticipate what further horrors lay ahead.
Forbes, Bryan THE ENDLESS GAME (2005)
I know it will be finished someday, just don't anticipate it being in my lifetime.
Bénédicte Newland and Pascale Smets AND GOD CREATED THE AU PAIR (2005)
`Of course, she'll have to go through the college, but I hardly anticipate...'
Penelope Fitzgerald HUMAN VOICES (2005)
Action of any kind was easier than waiting, and he didn't really anticipate any trouble.
Elizabeth Peters LORD OF THE SILENT (2005)
In other languages
anticipate
British English: anticipate VERB
If you anticipate an event, you realize in advance that it may happen and you are prepared for it.
At the time we couldn't have anticipated the result of our campaigning.
American English: anticipate
Brazilian Portuguese: prever
Chinese: 预期
European Spanish: prever
French: prévoir
German: vorhersehen
Italian: prevedere
Japanese: 予想する
Korean: 예상하다
European Portuguese: prever
Latin American Spanish: prever
Chinese translation of 'anticipate'
anticipate
(ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt)
vt
(= expect, foresee) 预(預)期 (yùqī)
(= be prepared for) 提前行动(動) (tíqián xíngdòng)
(= look forward to) 期望 (qīwàng)
this is worse/better than I anticipated这(這)比我原先期望的要坏(壞)/好 (zhè bǐ wǒ yuánxiān qīwàng de yào huài/hǎo)
1 (verb)
Definition
to foresee and act in advance of
We could not have anticipated the result of our campaigning.
Synonyms
expect
I wasn't expecting to see you today.
predict
Nobody can predict what will happen.
forecast
They forecast a defeat for the Prime Minister.
prepare for
look for
hope for
envisage
Scientists envisage a major breakthrough in the next few years.
foresee
He did not foresee any problems.
bank on
apprehend
foretell
prophets who have foretold the end of the world
think likely
count upon
2 (verb)
Definition
to look forward to
We are all eagerly anticipating the next match.
Synonyms
await
Little was said as we awaited the arrival of the chairman.
look forward to
count the hours until
3 (verb)
You've anticipated my next question.
Synonyms
pre-empt
He pre-empted any decision to sack him
intercept
forestall
They had done little to forestall the attack.
second-guess
beat (someone) to it
4 (verb)
Synonyms
prevent
We took steps to prevent it happening.
These methods prevent pregnancy.
antedate (informal)
Usage note
The Bank of English reveals that the use of anticipate and expect as synonyms is well established. However, although both words relate to a person's knowledge of something that will happen in the future, there are subtle differences in meaning that should be understood when choosing which word to use. Anticipate means that someone foresees an event and has prepared for it, while expect means `to regard something as probable', but does not necessarily suggest the state of being prepared. Similarly, using foresee as a synonym of anticipate, as in they failed to foresee the vast explosion in commercial revenue which would follow, is not entirely appropriate.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of antedate
Definition
to be or occur at an earlier date than
Synonyms
come first or before,
anticipate,
precede,
go before,
forego,
predate
in the sense of envisage
Definition
to believe to be possible or likely in the future
Scientists envisage a major breakthrough in the next few years.
Synonyms
foresee,
see,
expect,
predict,
anticipate,
envision
in the sense of forecast
Definition
to predict or calculate (weather, events, etc.), in advance