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Today it means

anticipate

to expect or look forward to something before it happens

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Where does the word "anticipate" come from? It comes from Latin anticipare, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).

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Where does the word "anticipate" come from? It comes from Latin anticipare, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).

Anticipate’s story begins in Latin: anticipare meant “to take beforehand.” To take beforehand, from ante- (before) and capere (to take). It reached English by 1530s as anticipate. Settled as the English word for expecting or looking forward to something. Today, anticipate means to expect or look forward to something before it happens.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient anticipare "to take beforehand", to take beforehand, from ante- (before) and capere (to take).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1530s anticipate "to expect or look forward to something", settled as the English word for expecting or looking forward to something.

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