Anticipate

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Anticipate |anˈtɪsɪpeɪt|

verb [ with obj. ]

regard as probable; expect or predict: she anticipated contempt on her return to the theatre | [ with clause ] : it was anticipated that the rains would slow the military campaign.

• guess or be aware of (what will happen) and take action in order to be prepared: they failed to anticipate a full-scale invasion.

• look forward to: Stephen was eagerly anticipating the break from the routine of business.

• come or take place before  (an event or process expected or scheduled for a later time). this is to

anticipate the argument.

DERIVATIVES

anticipative adjective,

anticipator noun

ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the senses ‘to take something into consideration’, ‘mention something

before the proper time’): from Latin anticipat- ‘acted in advance’, from anticipare, based on
ante- ‘before’ capere ‘take’.

Thesaurus

anticipate

verb

1 the police did not anticipate any trouble: expect, foresee, predict, think likely, forecast, prophesy, foretell,contemplate the possibility of, allow for, be prepared for; count on, bank on, look for, bargain on; informal reckon on; N. Amer. informal figure on; 

2 Elaine tingled with excitement as she anticipated her meeting with Will: look forward to, await, count the days until; informal lick one's lips over. ANTONYMS dread.

!3 warders can't always anticipate the actions of prisoners: forestall, intercept; second-guess; informal beat someone to it, beat someone to the draw, beat someone to the punch.

4 she wrote plays for all-women casts, which anticipated her film work: foreshadow, precede, antedate, come/go before, be earlier than.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

anticipate, expect, foresee

These words all mean ‘regard as probable’, but theyall have other meanings that can colour the general sense.

■ Anticipate is used especially when someone takesaction or makes plans to prepare for what they think will happen (the police anticipated trouble and drafted in reinforcements). It is often used for looking forward to something desirable, and when used as an adjective it is frequently modified by an adverb such as eagerly (it was the most eagerly anticipated show in town) and, with the same approving sense, highly (one of the year's most highly anticipated video games). Anticipate is less commonly used in a passive construction than the other two words.

■ Expect is the most general word (sales are expected to drop next year | over 20,000 visitors are expected). Expect may also be used of something that is required or demanded, whether or not one thinks it is likely (the firm expected its employees to be prepared to move). While all these words can be used with a direct object or a that-clause (I expect that she knew too), only expect can be used with an object and an infinitive (you expect me to believe you? ).

■ Foresee can imply certainty, as its meaning verges on ‘prophesy, predict’, and the objects with which it is used are typically undesirable  (we foresee enormous problems for local authorities). Only foresee and anticipate can be used with a present participle (Cleo had anticipated having to apologize for him).

These notes show fine distinctions in meaning  between closely related synonyms to help you find the

best word.

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