Anticipate Meaning
/ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
verbTo take up or introduce (something) prematurely.
Sentence Examples
What results do you anticipate?
I anticipate that there will be trouble.
We don't anticipate any major problems.
CEFR Practice Quiz
We ____ that the storm will arrive by evening, so we should prepare now.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We ____ that the new project will be finished by the end of the year.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin anticipātus, perfect passive participle of anticipō (“to anticipate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ante- (“before”), + capiō (“to take”, cip- when prefixed) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See capable.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He would probably have died by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace."
— 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XX, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
"The task was more to Appleby's liking than the one he had anticipated, and it was necessary, since the smaller merchants in Cuba and also in parts of Peninsular Spain have no great confidence in bankers, and prefer a packet of golden onzas or a bag of pesetas to the best accredited cheque."
— 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 31, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
"But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead."
— 2011 October 2, Jonathan Jurejko, “Bolton 1 - 5 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
We ____ that the storm will arrive by evening, so we should prepare now.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We ____ that the new project will be finished by the end of the year.