# anticipation

/ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/ (US) · /æntˈɪsɪpˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/anticipation
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. expectation and excitement

noun · CEFR B2

a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen soon.

For teachers: the state of looking forward to an event, typically with a degree of eagerness or anxiety.

- The children were shaking with anticipation as they waited for the party to start.
- The crowd waited in breathless anticipation for the soloist to take the stage, their eyes fixed on the velvet curtains.

### 2. preparing beforehand

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

doing something early because you expect it will be needed later.

For teachers: the act of taking action or considering something before the proper or expected time.

- In anticipation of the storm, we put all the garden furniture in the garage.
- The city council reinforced the sea walls in anticipation of rising tides, demonstrating a rare instance of long-term infrastructure planning.

### 3. musical tone

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a note played slightly before the rest of the chord it belongs to.

For teachers: a non-harmonic note that is played or sung just before the chord in which it is a structural member.

- The singer used a slight anticipation to make the melody feel more emotional.
- The composer employed a melodic anticipation in the flute part, creating a momentary dissonance that resolved beautifully into the final cadence.

### 4. paying a debt early

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

paying back a loan or debt before the date it is actually due.

For teachers: the prepayment of a financial obligation, often executed to reduce the total interest accrued.

- The contract allows for the anticipation of the loan without any extra fees.
- The corporation opted for the anticipation of its high-interest bonds to improve its balance sheet before the end of the fiscal year.

## Examples

- The children were full of anticipation on the night before the trip.
- Fans waited in the rain for hours, their anticipation growing as the concert start time approached.
- The marketing team spent months building anticipation for the product launch, ensuring that consumer demand would be at its peak the moment the doors opened.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.