anticipate

1 regard something as probable or likely; "The meteorologists are expecting rain for tomorrow" [syn: expect]

2 act in advance of; deal with ahead of time [syn: foresee, forestall, counter]

3 realize beforehand [syn: previse, foreknow, foresee]

4 make a prediction about; tell in advance; "Call the outcome of an election" [syn: predict, foretell, prognosticate, call, forebode, promise]

5 be excited or anxious about [syn: look for, look to]

6 be a forerunner of or occur earlier than; "This composition anticipates Impressionism"

English

Etymology

Latin anticipatus, perfect passive participle of anticipare, anticipate; from ante, before, + capere, take. See Capable.

Pronunciation

• (WEAE) /ænˈtɪs.ə.peyt/

Verb

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

   To anticipate and prevent the duke's purpose. --R. Hall.

   He would probably have died by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace. --Macaulay.

2. to take up or introduce (something) prematurely

   The advocate plans to anticipate a part of her argument.

3. to know of (something) before it manifests

   to anticipate the pleasures of a visit

   to anticipate the evils of life

   Please anticipate a journey of an hour from your house to the airport

Usage notes

The words anticipate and expect both regard some future event as likely to take place. Nowadays they are often used interchangeably although anticipate is associated with acting because of an expectation. (E.g. skilled sportsmen anticipate the action and position themselves accordingly.)

Synonyms

• (to act before someone): preclude
• (to take up or introduce something prematurely):
• (to know of something before it manifests): expect, foretaste, foresee

Related terms

• anticipation

Translations

Italian

Verb

anticipate

1. Form of Second-person plural imperative, anticipare#Italian|anticipare

announce, antecede, antedate, anticipation, apprehend, approach, avert, await, bar, be before, be destined, be early, be fated, be imminent, be to be, be to come, come, come before, come on, contemplate, count on, debar, deflect, deter, discourage, dishearten, divine, draw near, draw on, dread, envisage, envision, estop, exclude, expect, expectation, face, fend, fend off, forbid, forecast, foreclose, foreglimpse, foreknow, forerun, foresee, forestall, foretaste, foretell, get ahead of, go before, go off half-cocked, have in mind, help, herald, hope, intercept, jump the gun, keep from, keep off, lie ahead, look ahead, look beyond, look for, look forward to, look out for, loom, near, nullify, obviate, plan, plot, precede, preclude, precurse, predate, predict, preexist, prepare for, presage, presume, prevent, prevision, proclaim, prohibit, project, prophesy, reckon on, repel, rule out, save, see, see ahead, see beforehand, stave off, take for granted, think, threaten, turn aside, usher in, visualize, ward off, win the start