From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishanticipatean‧tic‧i‧pate /ænˈtɪsəpeɪt/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL verb [transitive] 1 EXPECTto expect that something will happen and be ready for it Sales are better than anticipated.anticipate changes/developments The schedule isn’t final, but we don’t anticipate many changes.anticipate problems/difficulties We don’t anticipate any problems. A good speaker is able to anticipate an audience’s needs and concerns.anticipate (that) This year, we anticipate that our expenses will be 15% greater. It is anticipated that the research will have many different practical applications.anticipate doing something I didn’t anticipate having to do the cooking myself!2 THINK ABOUTto think about something that is going to happen, especially something pleasant SYN look forward to Daniel was eagerly anticipating her arrival.3 BEFOREto do something before someone else Copernicus anticipated in part the discoveries of the 17th and 18th centuries. —anticipatory /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪtəri $ ænˈtɪsəpətɔːri/ adjective formal the anticipatory atmosphere of a big college football gameGRAMMAR: Comparisonanticipate• You anticipate something: We don’t anticipate any problems.• You anticipate that something will happen: No one could have anticipated that this would happen.expect• You expect something: We don’t expect any problems.• You expect that something will happen, or someone will do something: Everyone expected that the team would win.• You expect something to happen, or expect someone to do something: Everyone expected them to win. predict• You predict something: No one could have predicted the result.• You predict that something will happen, or someone will do something: He predicted that the team would win.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
anticipate• The journey took a lot longer than we had anticipated.• A skilled waiter can anticipate a customer's needs.• She is anticipating a visit from Varvara, her best friend, who will arrive later this summer.• Schools anticipate an increase in student test scores.• No change in Verio's management personnel is anticipated, and the Verio brand name will be retained.• Eight other titles are anticipated at launch, planned for this summer.• I think we've fixed everything, and I don't anticipate finding any more problems.• He anticipated lunch or breakfast meetings.• I anticipate many changes in society over the next 100-year period.• In many ways, these comedies anticipated Romantic drama.• Better therefore to try to anticipate such a calamity by assuming the role of an active and vigilant peace-maker.• Those who anticipate that both will be granted will campaign for legislation to enforce a new schedule of environmental safeguards.• We had anticipated that interest rates would have fallen further by now.• The crowd sat quietly, anticipating the company's performance of "H.M.S. Pinafore."anticipate (that)• They may indeed topple it, but not in the way he anticipated.• The college say they're distressed by Tracey's death, she had every reason to anticipate a good degree.• Edward Forbes, indeed, had anticipated Charles with his theory of the disjunct distribution of arctic-alpines.• Version 8. 0 also comes with an improved installation routine that is faster and better able to anticipate conflicts.• He anticipated lunch or breakfast meetings.• The companies said they anticipate the new system will be operated under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.Origin anticipate (1500-1600) Latin past participle of anticipare, from ante- ( → ANTE-) + capere “to take” 