Main Entry:

an·tic·i·pate

Pronunciation:

\an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

an·tic·i·pat·ed; an·tic·i·pat·ing

Etymology:

Latin anticipatus, past participle of anticipare, from ante- + -cipare (from capere to take) — more at heave

Date:

1532

transitive verb 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 intransitive verb : to speak or write in knowledge or expectation of later matter

synonyms see foresee, prevent

— an·tic·i·pat·able \-ˌpā-tə-bəl\ adjective

— an·tic·i·pa·tor \-ˌpā-tər\ noun