What does predated mean?
Predated means that something came before another thing in time. Historians and archaeologists frequently use the word when evidence shows that a settlement, practice, invention, or text existed earlier than previously believed. For example, an object may be said to predate the construction of the building in which it was discovered. The verb can also mean that a person assigned an earlier date to an event, although this sense is less common and can imply a revision of established evidence or chronology. In general use, predated is formal rather than conversational, but it is clear and useful when the exact relationship between two events matters. The word is especially valuable in discussions of history, archaeology, science, and cultural development, where precise chronology can change how evidence is interpreted.
To have existed or occurred before another event, thing, or period.
"The practice likely predates the introduction of writing."
Common in historical, archaeological, and scientific writing.
To assign an earlier date to an event or object than the date previously accepted.
"The author predated the manuscript to the twelfth century."
This is a less common sense, especially associated with historical dating and revised scholarship.
If a discovery predates the story historians tell about it, it may rewrite the story itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does predated come from?
The verb dates from the early 17th century and combines the prefix pre-, meaning “before,” with date, “an assigned point or period of time.” The verb ultimately draws on Latin praedatare, meaning “to anticipate or precede,” and is related to Latin forms associated with praedator and praedatio, from which words such as predator and predation developed.
Related word forms
How predated is actually used
The word is formal and commonly used in historical, archaeological, and scientific contexts. Its second sense is less common and refers specifically to revising the date attributed to an event or artifact.