lexicow

anticipate

/ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt//ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt/·verb
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Definition

To anticipate is to take action before the event — the Latin anticipare means literally 'to seize beforehand'. That makes it stronger than 'expect': the spectator expects the ball; the goalkeeper anticipates it, already moving to where it will arrive. Planners anticipate demand, lawyers anticipate objections, good drivers anticipate the mistakes of others. Built into the word is preparation: to anticipate something and do nothing about it is to have merely predicted it.

Examples

  • She anticipated every objection and arrived with the answers prepared.
  • The surge in ticket demand far exceeded what the organizers had anticipated.
  • Vigilant drivers anticipate hazards while there is still time to avoid them.

Collocations

anticipate problems·anticipate demand·widely anticipated·fail to anticipate·in anticipation of

Synonyms

foresee·expect·predict·preempt·forecast

Antonyms

react·be caught off guard

Word family

anticipation (noun)·anticipated (adjective)·anticipatory (adjective)

In TOEFL & IELTS

TOEFL reading uses it for foresight in science and history — 'the study anticipated findings that would not be confirmed for decades'. In IELTS Writing Task 2, 'governments failed to anticipate the consequences' is a high-band cause-effect move, and 'in anticipation of' is a set phrase worth owning. Keep the nuance: anticipate = expect + prepare, which is why it outranks 'expect' in precision.