What does anticipate mean?
Anticipate is a verb meaning to expect something will happen and — crucially — to act on that expectation ahead of time. It goes beyond mere prediction: someone who anticipates a problem prepares for it, and a company that anticipates demand stocks up before customers arrive. The word can also describe doing or saying something earlier than is natural or proper, such as anticipating a punchline or answering a question before it is asked. Derived from Latin roots meaning "to take beforehand," it entered English in the early sixteenth century and originally carried a faint note of presumption. Today it is a staple of planning, forecasting, and formal correspondence, sitting between casual "expect" and technical terms like "forecast." Its noun form, anticipation, is especially associated with pleasurable looking-forward. Because anticipation implies foresight paired with action, the word conveys readiness and strategic thinking rather than passive hope.
To expect that something will happen and take action or make preparations for it in advance.
"The team anticipated delays in shipping and ordered parts two months early."
Often followed by a noun or gerund: "anticipate trouble," "anticipate seeing her."
To do, use, or say something before the natural, expected, or proper time; to pre-empt.
"The comedian's friend kept anticipating his best jokes."
To deal with a question, objection, or need before it arises; to forestall.
"The report anticipates most of the criticisms likely to be raised by reviewers."
(Archaic) To spend or use money before it is actually available; to live in advance of one's income.
"He anticipated upon next quarter's salary to pay his debts."
This sense is now archaic and largely confined to historical texts.
When Shakespeare wrote, 'anticipate' still carried a whiff of wrongdoing — to act before it was your turn was almost rude.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anticipate
Anticipate comes from Latin "anticipare," meaning "to take care of beforehand" or "to come before," formed from "anti-" (before) plus "capere" (to take). It passed into English via Latin in the early sixteenth century. Its original English sense emphasized acting prematurely or taking something out of turn — hence older uses implying presumption. Over time the dominant modern senses developed: expecting with foresight and preparing in advance, and looking forward to something. Cognates and relatives include "capture," "capable," "receive" (from related Latin forms of "capere"), and "capacity."
Related word forms
How anticipate is actually used
Anticipate is slightly more formal than "expect" and carries an implication of foresight and preparation. In careful usage, some style guides object to using "anticipate" merely as a synonym for "expect" without any element of preparation or acting in advance. In business and everyday speech, however, this distinction is frequently blurred. The sense "to look forward to" (as in "we anticipate your visit") is common in formal correspondence but can sound stiff informally.
Easily confused with anticipate
"Expect" means simply to believe something is likely to happen, while "anticipate" implies foreseeing it and often preparing for it or acting in advance.