predate

1 of 2

verb (1)

pre·​date (ˌ)prē-ˈdāt 

predated; predating; predates

transitive verb

: antedate

predate

2 of 2

verb (2)

pre·​date pri-ˈdāt 

predated; predating; predates

transitive + intransitive

: to prey on (something or someone)

Animals predate other animals in nature, but that is hardly commensurate with a massive worldwide farming industry that breeds species purely for our purpose.

—Jenny Diski

Are high-profile men that sexually predate women finally starting to lose immunity?

—Alex McKinnon

All cats may predate but those living indoors have little opportunity to do so.

—Kevin Stafford

There are many species that predate on pigeons and doves.

—Revati

Synonyms of predate

Verb (1)

• precede

Examples of predate in a Sentence

Verb (1)

modes of transportation that predate the car

the native people who predated European settlers in America

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Nearly half of American houses predate 1980, before today’s era of megafires, floods, and hurricanes. —Literary Hub, 13 May 2026

Both events predate the current generation of AI agents by more than a decade. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 May 2026

Hispanic communities along Route 66 in New Mexico predate the highway by centuries. —Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

These programs are part of a broader shift in dark sky tourism toward pairing scientific observation with storytelling traditions that long predate modern astronomy. —Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (2)

back-formation from predator or predatory

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1854, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1941, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for predate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

predate

verb

pre·​date (ˈ)prē-ˈdāt 

: antedate sense 1