What does "anticipate" mean?

1. (to expect and prepare) to imagine that something will happen and take action to be ready for it. 2. (to look forward to) to wait for something with excitement or pleasure. 3. (to act before someone else) to do something before someone else can do it, often to stop them.

Is it correct to say "We anticipate to finish the project by Friday."?

No — say "We anticipate finishing the project by Friday.". When followed by another verb, anticipate takes the -ing form, not the infinitive with 'to'.

anticipate

US //ænˈtɪsəˌpeɪt// UK //æntˈɪsɪpˌeɪt// an·tic·i·pate

1 to expect and prepare (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

to imagine that something will happen and take action to be ready for it.

to foresee a future event and take preparatory action. Transitive; often takes a direct object or a 'that' clause.

Example

The shop owners anticipate a busy weekend, so they have ordered extra stock.

Example

Economists anticipate that the central bank will raise interest rates in response to the latest inflation data, prompting investors to adjust their portfolios accordingly.
Pitfall

We anticipate to finish the project by Friday.

We anticipate finishing the project by Friday.

When followed by another verb, anticipate takes the -ing form, not the infinitive with 'to'.
2 to look forward to (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to wait for something with excitement or pleasure.

to look forward to an event with a degree of pleasure or excitement.

Example

The children are eagerly anticipating their first trip to the beach.

Example

Fans have been anticipating the sequel for years, creating a level of hype that the studio is struggling to manage.
- await
- look forward to
- dread

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3 to act before someone else (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to do something before someone else can do it, often to stop them.

to act in advance of another to prevent or check their intended action.

Example

The goalkeeper anticipated the striker's move and blocked the shot.

Example

By launching their own version of the software early, the company managed to anticipate their competitor's market entry and secure a dominant position.
- preempt
- forestall
- react
- follow

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.