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antedate

noun
an·​te·​date | \ ˈan-ti-ˌdāt How to pronounce antedate (audio) \

Definition of antedate

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a date assigned to an event or document earlier than the actual date of the event or document

antedate

verb
an·​te·​date | \ ˈan-ti-ˌdāt How to pronounce antedate (audio) , ˌan-ti-ˈ\
antedated; antedating; antedates

Definition of antedate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to date as of a time prior to that of execution
b : to assign to a date prior to that of actual occurrence
2 archaic : anticipate
3 : to precede in time
Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about antedate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for antedate

Synonyms: Verb

antecede, forego, precede, predate, preexist

Antonyms: Verb

follow, postdate, succeed

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Did You Know?

Dinosaurs antedated the first human beings by almost 65 million years, though this stubborn fact never used to stop cartoonists and screenwriters from having the two species inhabit the same story line. Dictionary editors are constantly noticing how the oral use of a word may antedate its first appearance in print by a number of years. Antedating a check or a contract isn't illegal unless it's done for the purpose of fraud (the same is true of its opposite, postdating).

Examples of antedate in a Sentence

Verb

 The church antedates the village itself. dinosaurs antedate cavemen by millions of years

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 His theatrically posed male nudes were antedated by George Platt Lynes’s. — Arthur Lubow, New York Times, "Has Robert Mapplethorpe’s Moment Passed?," 25 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'antedate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of antedate

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

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More Definitions for antedate

antedate

verb
How to pronounce antedate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of antedate

formal
: to give an earlier date rather than the actual date to (something)
: to be earlier or older than (something)

See the full definition for antedate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on antedate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with antedate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for antedate

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