anticipate
an-TISS-ih-pate
/ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt/
To foresee, expect, or prepare for a future event; to act in advance of an outcome.
Involves active mental preparation or pre-emptive action based on an expected future.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'anticipare', literally meaning 'to take beforehand.' When you anticipate something, you mentally grab hold of it before it actually arrives.
Word relationships
- foresee: Foresee means seeing what will happen, whereas anticipate includes taking action or feeling emotion in advance.
- predict: Predict is making a statement about the future; anticipate is mentally or practically preparing for it.
- recollect: Recollect looks backward into the past rather than forward into the future.
- overlook: Overlook means failing to notice or prepare for something.
Commonly confused with
- participate: Anticipate means foreseeing/expecting, whereas participate means taking part in an event.
Word family
- anticipation (noun): The action of anticipating something; expectation or hope.
- anticipatory (adjective): Happening or done in anticipation of something.
Collocations
- anticipate needs
- eagerly anticipate
- fully anticipate
- fail to anticipate
Idioms & expressions
- stay one step ahead
- count one's chickens before they hatch
Example sentences
- "Good leaders anticipate challenges before they arise and formulate proactive solutions." Business Strategy
- "She could anticipate his reactions with remarkable precision after years of working together." Literary Prose
Memory hook
ANTI-cipate = take care of it BEFORE (ante) it happens. Grasp the future before it arrives.
When not to use
Do not confuse with simply waiting passively; anticipation implies foreseeing or taking action early.
Fun facts
- In marketing, 'anticipatory buying' describes when consumers stock up on goods before prices rise.
Explore more words
foresee, forestall, apprehensive, precaution, envision, predict
Also appears in
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