An-tic'i-pāte, v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. ANTICIPATED; p. pr. & vb. n. ANTICIPATING.] [Lat. anticipare, from ante, before, and capere, to take; Fr. anticiper, Pr. anticipar.]
Sense 1. To be before in doing; to do or take before another; to preclude by prior action. “To anticipate and prevent the duke’s purpose.” Hall.
Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits. Shak.
Sense 2. To take up beforehand, or before the proper time; as, the advocate has anticipated a part of his argument.
Sense 3. To foretaste or foresee; to have a previous view or impression of; as, to anticipate the pleasures of a visit; to anticipate the evils of life.
Synonyms—To preoccupy; precede; outgo; forestall; foresee; expect.—To ANTICIPATE, EXPECT. These words, as here compared, agree in regarding some future event as about to take place. Expect is the stronger. It supposes some ground or reason in the mind for considering the event as likely to happen. Anticipate is, literally, to take beforehand, and here denotes simply to take into the mind as a conception of the future. Hence, to say, “I did not anticipate a refusal,” expresses something less definite and strong than to say, “I did not expect it.” Still, anticipate is a convenient word to be interchanged with expect in cases where the thought will allow.
Good with bad Expect to hear; supernal grace contending With sinfulness of man. Milton.
I would not anticipate the relish of any happiness, nor feel the weight of any misery, before it actually arrives. Spectator.