anticipatory
adjective
an·tic·i·pa·to·ry
an-ˈti-sə-pə-ˌtȯr-ē 
: characterized by anticipation : anticipating
took anticipatory measures to prevent floods
Examples of anticipatory in a Sentence
couldn't control his anticipatory excitement on Christmas morning
Recent Examples on the Web
The 49ers’ system is big on anticipatory throws which require the quarterback to throw to a spot and trust the receiver to be there.
—
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The morning of the show, the dressing room is ripe with anticipatory energy.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
While much of health-care hiring is driven by necessity, anticipatory hiring is picking up in retail and transportation for employers to get ahead of the holiday shopping season, signaling that businesses expect consumer spending to be strong through the rest of the year.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
In the meantime, the musician is setting the anticipatory bar high.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
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Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The morning of the show, the dressing room is ripe with anticipatory energy.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
While much of health-care hiring is driven by necessity, anticipatory hiring is picking up in retail and transportation for employers to get ahead of the holiday shopping season, signaling that businesses expect consumer spending to be strong through the rest of the year.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
In the meantime, the musician is setting the anticipatory bar high.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Cite this Entry
“Anticipatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticipatory. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
anticipatory
adjective
an·tic·i·pa·tory
an-ˈti-sə-pə-ˌtōr-ē
: of or relating to a prior action that takes into account or forestalls a later action
an anticipatory challenge brought for declaratory and injunctive relief—L. H. Tribe
L. H. Tribe
anticipatorily
adverb
-ˌti-sə-pə-ˈtōr-ə-lē
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