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
Some of the behavior of the economy in the 2nd quarter was anticipatory, and transitory.
—
George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025
The glint and thrum of Y2K aesthetics—as contrasted with the droning conservatism of the white-collar office—read as anticipatory rather than melancholic, looking toward a future liberated from systems of old.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025
Still the largest watch market by size, the U.S. accounted for 23 percent of the market in the month, with exports rising 45 percent to 55.9 million Swiss francs, in a more modest increase than April’s anticipatory stockpiling surge.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
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George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025
The glint and thrum of Y2K aesthetics—as contrasted with the droning conservatism of the white-collar office—read as anticipatory rather than melancholic, looking toward a future liberated from systems of old.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025
Still the largest watch market by size, the U.S. accounted for 23 percent of the market in the month, with exports rising 45 percent to 55.9 million Swiss francs, in a more modest increase than April’s anticipatory stockpiling surge.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 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 11 Sep. 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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