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