anticipate
verb
an·tic·i·pate
an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt 
anticipated; anticipating
1
: to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment to
2
: to meet (an obligation) before a due date
3
: to foresee and deal with in advance : forestall
4
: to use or expend in advance of actual possession
5
: to act before (another) often so as to check or counter
6
: to look forward to as certain : expect
We don't anticipate any problems during the construction.
: to speak or write in knowledge or expectation of later matter
Examples of anticipate in a Sentence
The cost turned out to be higher than anticipated.
The author anticipated objections to his theory.
The organizers of the fair anticipate a large crowd.
I did not anticipate having to pay for your ticket.
He eagerly anticipated her arrival.
Recent Examples on the Web
While web3 integration does not seem absolutely required to participate in the gaming experience, analysts anticipate most players engaging with these features for the full gaming experience.
—
Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
But those appearances were anticipated in advance, the candidates didn’t pop in days before the general election.
—Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
But Mexico anticipates a tough immigration regime whoever wins.
—New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
That tense backdrop isn’t anticipated to distract policymakers from further easing for now.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for anticipate 
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Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
But those appearances were anticipated in advance, the candidates didn’t pop in days before the general election.
—Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
But Mexico anticipates a tough immigration regime whoever wins.
—New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
That tense backdrop isn’t anticipated to distract policymakers from further easing for now.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for anticipate
Dictionary Entries Near anticipate
Cite this Entry
“Anticipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anticipate. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anticipate
verb
an·tic·i·pate
an-ˈtis-ə-ˌpāt
anticipated; anticipating
1
: to foresee and deal with or provide for beforehand
anticipated their objections
anticipated my every need
2
: to look forward to as certain
Medical Definition
anticipate
verb
an·tic·i·pate
an-ˈtis-ə-ˌpāt
anticipated; anticipating
: to give advance thought to
: to come before the expected time
—used especially of medical symptoms
Legal Definition
anticipate
transitive verb
an·tic·i·pate
an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt
anticipated; anticipating
1
: to bar or invalidate (a patent) by anticipation
the patent on the compound had been anticipated by the Beilstein reference—Misani v. Ortho Pharm. Corp., 210 A.2d 609 (1965)
Misani v. Ortho Pharm. Corp., 210 A.2d 609 (1965)2
: to negate the novelty of (an invention) by its appearance in prior art
appeared to have anticipated a variable light makeup mirror—Wilson v. Bristol-Myers Co., 503 N.Y.S.2d 334 (1986)
Wilson v. Bristol-Myers Co., 503 N.Y.S.2d 334 (1986)Love words? Need even more definitions?
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