Standard Lemma guide

anticipation

noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ænˌtɪs.ɪˈpeɪ.ʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/
  • US: [ɛənˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən]
  • Australian: /ænˌtɪs.ə.pæɪ.ʃən/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: AE0 N T IH2 S AH0 P EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: AE0 N T IH0 S AH0 P EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of anticipating, taking up, placing, or considering something beforehand, or before the proper time in natural order.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Often the anticipation of a shot is worse than the pain of the stick.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The eagerness associated with waiting for something to occur.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He waited with great anticipation for Christmas to arrive.
  • He waited in anticipation of the arrival of Christmas.
  • I was giddy with anticipation.
  • November 20, 1836, Samuel Thodey, The Honour Attached to Eminent Piety and Usefulness anticipation of that final hour which he had long contemplated as near at hand

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Prepayment of a debt, generally in order to pay less interest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Prolepsis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, rhetoric, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A non-harmonic tone that is lower or higher than a note in the previous chord and a unison to a note in the next chord.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Hasty notion; intuitive preconception.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the act of predicting (as by reasoning about the future)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prediction, prevision

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reasoning, logical thinking, abstract thought

Narrower terms: projection, prophecy, prognostication, vaticination, prefiguration, foreshadowing, adumbration

8

noun

Meaning 8

something expected (as on the basis of a norm)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • each of them had their own anticipations
  • an indicator of expectancy in development

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: expectancy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: expectation, outlook, prospect

Narrower terms: life expectancy

9

noun

Meaning 9

an expectation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: expectancy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: expectation

Narrower terms: suspense, fever, hope

10

noun

Meaning 10

anticipating with confidence of fulfillment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: expectation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hopefulness

History

Etymology

From Middle English anticipacioun, from Middle French anticipation and its etymon Latin anticipātiō, anticipātiōnem.

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: чака́нне (čakánnje) — the act of anticipating
  • Belarusian: прадчува́нне (pradčuvánnje) — the act of anticipating
  • Bulgarian: оча́кване (očákvane) — the act of anticipating
  • Bulgarian: предви́ждане (predvíždane) — the act of anticipating
  • Bulgarian: избъ́рзване (izbǎ́rzvane) — the act of anticipating
  • Bulgarian: предвку́сване (predvkúsvane) — the act of anticipating
  • Catalan: anticipació — the act of anticipating
  • Czech: očekávání — the act of anticipating
  • Esperanto: anticipo — the act of anticipating
  • Finnish: varautuminen — the act of anticipating
  • Galician: anticipación — the act of anticipating
  • Georgian: მოლოდინი (molodini) — the act of anticipating
  • German: Erwartung — the act of anticipating
  • German: Vorausahnung — the act of anticipating
  • German: Vorahnung — the act of anticipating
  • Indonesian: antisipasi — the act of anticipating
  • Italian: anticipazione — the act of anticipating
  • Latin: praesūmptiō — the act of anticipating
  • Latin: anticipātiō — the act of anticipating
  • Macedonian: очекување (očekuvanje) — the act of anticipating
  • Polish: oczekiwanie — the act of anticipating
  • Portuguese: antecipação — the act of anticipating
  • Romanian: anticipare — the act of anticipating
  • Romanian: anticipație — the act of anticipating
  • Russian: ожида́ние (ožidánije) — the act of anticipating
  • Russian: предчу́вствие (predčúvstvije) — the act of anticipating
  • Russian: предвкуше́ние (predvkušénije) — the act of anticipating
  • Serbo-Croatian: пре̏досећа̄ј — the act of anticipating
  • Serbo-Croatian: пре̏досјећа̄ј — the act of anticipating
  • Serbo-Croatian: prȅdosećāj — the act of anticipating
  • Serbo-Croatian: prȅdosjećāj — the act of anticipating
  • Slovak: očakávanie — the act of anticipating
  • Slovene: pričakovanje — the act of anticipating
  • Spanish: previsión — the act of anticipating
  • Spanish: anticipación — the act of anticipating
  • Spanish: anticipamiento — the act of anticipating
  • Turkish: sezinleme — the act of anticipating
  • Ukrainian: очі́кування (očíkuvannja) — the act of anticipating
  • Ukrainian: передчуття́ (peredčuttjá) — the act of anticipating
  • Warungu: soklü — the act of anticipating
  • Dutch: voorpret — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Galician: anticipación — eagerness for future occurrence
  • German: Vorfreude — eagerness for future occurrence
  • German: spannungsvolle Erwartung — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Hungarian: várakozás — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Romanian: anticipare — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Romanian: anticipație — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Spanish: anticipación — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Spanish: expectación — eagerness for future occurrence
  • Polish: antycypacja — music
Real reading context

anticipation in complete knowledge articles