Definition of ANTERIOR

adjective an·te·ri·or \ an-ˈtir-ē-ər \

Definition of anterior

1 a :situated before or toward the front

an anterior ligament

b :situated near or toward the head or part most nearly corresponding to a head

2 :coming before in time or development

labor problems anterior to the strike

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anteriorly

adverb

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Examples of anterior in a Sentence

the anterior part of the brain
the anterior chamber of the eye is bounded in front by the cornea

Recent Examples of anterior from the Web

Four weeks into 2016, Verrett suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and underwent season-ending surgery.

— mike digiovanna, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chargers' Verrett feeling good about return," 27 Aug. 2017
Nelson started six games before suffering a reported torn anterior cruciate ligament against Maryland.

— joe juliano, Philly.com, "Penn State position analysis: Offensive line," 22 Aug. 2017
One region, the anterior prefrontal cortex, is known for integrating new information from the environment with long-term memories, which could translate into making price comparisons and forming expectations, researchers say.

— amanda macmillan, Time, "Why Wine Tastes Better When It Costs More," 16 Aug. 2017
Memorial Same Day Surgical Center is starting a spine surgery program and plans to offer procedures such as cervical spine fusions and anterior cervical disc fusions currently found in specialized spine surgery centers, Seymour said.

— ron hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "State's first free-standing same-day surgical center to close," 14 July 2017
Indiana signed West for $20 million over two years coming off an anterior cruciate ligament tear and his numbers dropped a bit from his New Orleans days, but there was no doubting his impact.

— nat newell, Indianapolis Star, "Ranking every free agent the Pacers have signed," 28 June 2017
The team announced Friday that Urias will undergo anterior capsule surgery on his left shoulder.

— connor grossman, SI.com, "Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias to undergo shoulder surgery, out for season," 24 June 2017
The 20-year-old will undergo anterior capsule surgery on his left shoulder after suffering the injury during a minor league outing in Oklahoma City on June 10.

— carter karels, USA TODAY, "Julio Urias of Los Angeles Dodgers needs season-ending surgery," 23 June 2017
The left-hander needs anterior capsule surgery in his left shoulder, a procedure that will sideline him for the next 12 to 14 months.

— connor grossman, SI.com, "Starting Nine: Plenty of on—and off—field drama to go around as baseball hits the weekend," 23 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

Anterior generally appears in either medical or scholarly contexts. Anatomy books refer to the anterior lobe of the brain, the anterior cerebral artery, the anterior facial vein, etc. Scholar and lawyers may use anterior to mean "earlier in time or order". For example, supporters of states' rights point out that the individual states enjoyed certain rights anterior to their joining the union. And prenuptial agreements are designed to protect the assets that one or both parties acquired anterior to the marriage.

Origin and Etymology of anterior

Latin, comparative of ante before — more at ante-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1541

See Words from the same year

anterior Synonyms

Synonyms

front, fore, forward, frontal, frontward (or frontwards)

Antonyms

aft, after, hind, hinder, hindmost, posterior, rear, rearward

Related Words

ventral

Near Antonyms

dorsal

Synonym Discussion of anterior

preceding, antecedent, foregoing, previous, prior, former, anterior mean being before. preceding usually implies being immediately before in time or in place.

- the preceding sentence

antecedent applies to order in time and may suggest a causal relation.

- conditions antecedent to the revolution

foregoing applies chiefly to statements.

- the foregoing remarks

previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.

- a child from a previous marriage
- a prior obligation

former implies always a definite comparison or contrast with something that is latter.

- the former name of the company

anterior applies to position before or ahead of usually in space, sometimes in time or order.

- the anterior lobe of the brain

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

ANTERIOR Defined for English Language Learners

adjective