predate

1 of 2

verb (1)

pre·​date (ˌ)prē-ˈdāt How to pronounce predate (audio)
predated; predating; predates

predate

2 of 2

verb (2)

pre·​date pri-ˈdāt How to pronounce predate (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The song goes back to 1965, predating my first reading of the script in 1985. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025 An Ars review suggests his research on social media platforms predates Musk's ownership of X and has probed whether certain recommendation systems potentially make platforms toxic or influence presidential campaigns. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2025 His career predates San Diego’s emergency phone system by a solid 15 years. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2025 Scheffler has also tallied four wins on the PGA Tour this season, including the Byron Nelson in May which predated the PGA Championship victory. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for predate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of predate was in 1854

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predate. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

predate

verb
pre·​date (ˈ)prē-ˈdāt How to pronounce predate (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!