ENGLISH
REFERENCE

anticipate

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ænˈtɪsəˌpeɪt// UK //æntˈɪsɪpˌeɪt// an·tic·i·pate Academic General-service

v. to expect something to happen and prepare for it before it arrives. You use this when you are thinking ahead about a future event.

v. to expect or predict a future event; to act in advance of an expected occurrence. Transitive — requires a direct object, often a noun phrase or a gerund.


SIMPLE

We anticipate a large crowd at the opening tonight.

CONTEXTUAL

The marketing team tried to anticipate every possible question the journalists might ask during the press conference.

COMPLEX

While economists anticipate a gradual recovery in the housing market, they remain cautious about the potential impact of fluctuating interest rates on consumer spending.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin anticipātus, perfect passive participle of anticipō (“to anticipate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ante- (“before”), + capiō (“to take”, cip- when prefixed) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See capable.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; when followed by another verb, it requires the -ing form rather than the infinitive.

Pitfall

We anticipate to see growthWe anticipate seeing growthAnticipate is followed by a gerund (-ing), not a to-infinitive.

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