anticipate
verb
an·tic·i·pate
| \ an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt
\
\
anticipated;
anticipating
Definition of anticipate
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.
: to speak or write in knowledge or expectation of later matter
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Other Words from anticipate
anticipatable
\ -ˌpā-tə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
anticipator
\ -ˌpā-tər
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms for anticipate
Synonyms
await, expect, hope (for), watch (for)
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Clearly, some big market participants were anticipating slower growth, especially in the face of the US-China trade war. — Wired, "What Recession? Low Interest Rates Could Mean Tech-Fueled Growth," 4 Sep. 2019 And development has been a longer process than Semma anticipated. — Damian Garde, STAT, "Vertex’s next act: a billion-dollar bet on a cure for type 1 diabetes," 3 Sep. 2019 The finish, however, was precisely what Paul Chryst and has staff wanted but probably didn't anticipate: A comfortable 49-0 victory over South Florida. — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "No. 19 UW 49, South Florida 0: Mother Nature can only delay the inevitable as Badgers win in rout," 30 Aug. 2019 Board members plan to further review the findings and anticipate discussing future steps at their Sept. 10 regular meeting. — Sara Cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "LCUSD voters support renewing $450 parcel tax indefinitely, survey says," 28 Aug. 2019 Further Reading SpaceX’s Starship prototype has taken flight for the first time Although SpaceX does not anticipate losing the Starhopper vehicle, which measures 20 meters tall, this will be the vehicle's last flight. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX scrubs Starhopper test flight on Monday evening [Updated]," 26 Aug. 2019 All that vegetation can instantly turn into fuel for a big blaze, and agencies across the state anticipate an above-normal fire potential in the coming weeks and months. — Rob Nikolewski, Ramona Sentinel, "SDG&E ramps up fire safety efforts," 19 Aug. 2019 After sticking mostly to the ground with star running back Benny Snell in recent years, Kentucky's offense is anticipating a different approach in 2019 without Snell. — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, "Butler High School's Tae Tae Crumes is impressing already with Kentucky football," 16 Aug. 2019 WeWork unveiled the offering documents for its upcoming and highly anticipated IPO on Wednesday morning. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "WeWork filed its IPO -- now meet its We Double," 14 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anticipate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for anticipate
anticipate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of anticipate
: to think of (something that will or might happen in the future)
: to expect or look ahead to (something) with pleasure : to look forward to (something)
formal
: to do something before someone else
See the full definition for anticipate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
anticipate
verb
an·tic·i·pate
| \ an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt
\
\
anticipated;
anticipating
Kids Definition of anticipate
1
: to foresee and deal with or provide for beforehand
The waiters anticipate your every wish.
2
: to look forward to
… now everyone anticipated the celebration.— Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising
anticipate
verb